"You're... Johan, the teacher?"
Flint scrutinized Johan's features carefully before recognition dawned upon him.
Johan looked puzzled, but Flint grinned.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Flint, the Pewter Gym Leader. My son, Brock, mentioned you to me once."
The Pewter Gym Leader?
Johan's expression remained neutral, but his Pokémon—Gengar and the rest of his team—immediately perked up. Their eyes gleamed with a mixture of mischief and anticipation as they fixated on Flint like predators spotting prey.
One of the last two Gym Leaders in the Kanto region!
To Gengar and company, Flint wasn't just Flint; he was a walking six million Pokédollars!
Flint: …!
Feeling the weight of their intense gazes, Flint's back suddenly grew cold.
"What's going on here..."
Johan quickly stepped in front of his team, blocking their line of sight. He diverted Flint's attention, saying with a smile, "Flint, your reputation precedes you."
"Hahaha!" Flint scratched the back of his head, laughing loudly. "You flatter me, Johan!"
Johan nodded seriously. "Father to ten children, raising them while contributing so much to the Pokémon League. Truly admirable!"
Flint froze mid-laugh, visibly startled by Johan's remark.
Everyone knew Flint's claim to fame: Pokémon World's Top Breeder—of Humans.
His eldest son, Brock, was the "Judge of All Pokémon." As for his younger sons—Jiro, Saburo, Goro—they didn't even merit individual names.
Johan had often wondered if Flint carried some kind of "super-breeder" gene. How else could he explain such prolific parenting?
Flint wasn't just the "Breeder of Men"—his wife, Miyuki, deserved that title more. If anything, Flint was merely the "Planter of Seeds."
As for Brock's obsession with women? That was almost certainly an inherited trait.
Brushing aside the awkward praise, Flint waved his hand modestly. "You could do it too, Johan!"
Johan: …
Ten kids? If every one of them wanted to become a trainer, the costs alone... no wonder Brock was such a jack-of-all-trades. Besides being a trainer and breeder, he seemed to have picked up every odd skill just to help keep the family afloat.
"Anyway... what brings you here, Flint?" Johan asked, steering the conversation elsewhere.
He'd come to this remote mountain because of Gengar, but why was Flint here? Shouldn't he be running the Pewter Gym?
At Johan's question, Flint straightened his posture and responded solemnly: "I'm here to train!"
Johan raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
As a fellow man, Johan's intuition told him the real reason probably involved Flint's wife, Miyuki.
It was no secret: Flint was notoriously henpecked.
He adored Miyuki but couldn't deny that he was no match for her—both figuratively and literally.
As a Rock-type specialist, Flint was utterly countered by Miyuki's Water-type expertise.
However, seeing Johan's dubious expression, Flint quickly added another explanation.
"To be honest, running Gym battles is really expensive. Going on a training journey lets me close the Gym for a while... it saves on repair costs."
"Uh..."
Johan was momentarily taken aback before realization dawned.
Gym battles were, indeed, costly—especially for Rock, Ground, or Steel-type Gyms, where the facilities needed frequent repairs.
Combine that with Flint's responsibility of raising ten children, and it all added up.
"Life's not easy, huh," Johan murmured, sympathetic.
Flint turned his head away, tilting it skyward as he discreetly wiped at his eyes. "Finally, someone understands me!"
"By the way," Flint said, his tone lightening, "what was that massive Gengar all about earlier?"
"Oh, just an ancient Pokémon," Johan replied nonchalantly. "I've already reported it to Officer Jenny."
He gave Flint a brief rundown of the events, but the Gym Leader seemed fixated on only one detail: "Officer Jenny."
In a flash, Flint darted to the lakeshore. Cupping water in his hands, he slicked back his hair, turned to Johan with a dazzling smile, and asked, "How do I look, Johan?"
Johan: …
If you hadn't said anything, I'd have mistaken you for Wallace.
"Not bad," Johan deadpanned.
"Really?" Flint eagerly checked his reflection in the water.
But just as he leaned closer, a mischievous Gengar emerged silently from the lake, its wide, toothy grin mere inches from Flint's face.
For three whole seconds, Flint and Gengar locked eyes.
Flint: …!
The Gym Leader leapt nearly three meters into the air, his face pale as a ghost.
No matter how tough a man is, everyone's got something they're scared of.
---
The sound of a helicopter approaching interrupted their banter. Within moments, Officer Jenny arrived with two police officers and a pair of archaeologists in tow.
Upon spotting her, Flint immediately perked up.
With a theatrical flourish, he knelt on one knee before Jenny, his face radiating admiration.
"Officer Jenny, I'm Flint of Pewt—"
Jenny didn't even glance his way. Instead, she briskly walked past him and approached Johan with bright eyes and a rosy complexion.
"Professor Johan!" she exclaimed, practically glowing like a fangirl meeting her idol.
Crack.
Flint froze mid-motion, his hopes dashed.
She ignored me...
Thanks to Johan's prominence among the Officer Jenny clan—owing to his work on the "Anti-Theft Brigade" initiative and occasional online lectures—his reputation within their ranks was stellar.
Add to that Johan's striking looks, rivaling even the likes of Steven Stone, and it wasn't hard to see why Jenny was starstruck.
Johan greeted her with a polite smile. "Thank you for coming, Officer Jenny."
"It's no trouble at all—this is my duty!" Jenny replied earnestly.
After Johan explained the situation, he emphasized the importance of safeguarding the ancient Pokémon artifacts.
"If possible," he suggested, "store them alongside the bell from the altar. That bell contains the sleeping Giant Jigglypuff. Should the Giant Gengar or Alakazam act up again, Jigglypuff can pacify them."
Jenny nodded, promising to report Johan's contributions to the League for appropriate recognition.
Johan waved her off modestly. "It's not about the rewards. I'm just curious to see what the League is willing to do with this much ancient power."
Truthfully, while the ancient Pokémon were powerful, they weren't exactly useful. Communication with them was virtually impossible, and taming them seemed out of reach.
"Besides," Johan added dryly, "I already have my hands full with one Gengar. I can't imagine taking care of a giant one."
As Jenny's team departed with the artifacts, she turned back with a smile.
"Say hi to your cousin in Rustboro for me, Professor Johan!"
Watching the helicopter disappear into the distance, Johan sighed.
"Professor Johan!" Flint's sudden shout startled him.
THUD!
Flint dropped to his knees before Johan.
"Flint?! What are you doing?"
"I, uh... slipped," Flint mumbled, quickly rising and brushing himself off. Then, with uncharacteristic solemnity, he declared: "Johan, please teach me! No—teach my 'friend!'"
"Teach what?"
Leaning in conspiratorially, Flint whispered, "How do you get beautiful women to approach you so easily?"
Johan shot him a sidelong glare.
Excuse me, sir. Aren't you married?
With a resigned sigh, Johan replied, "That's not something you can learn, Flint."
Flint's expression hardened. "My... my friend can endure hardship!"
After a moment's thought, Johan nodded slowly.
"Well, to start..."
"Yes?" Flint leaned in eagerly.
"You need a very handsome face."
Flint: Σ(ﾟДﾟlll)
---
As the two men sat by the lake chatting, Johan couldn't help but notice how Flint, despite his easygoing demeanor, carried the weight of his responsibilities.
For all his flaws, Flint deeply loved his children—he just didn't always show it the right way.
Johan listened patiently as Flint vented about his struggles, nodding empathetically.
"Thank you for listening, Johan," Flint said sincerely.
Johan shrugged. "Every family has its challenges."
At that moment, Gengar floated back, gleefully presenting Johan with a Cheri Berry.
Accepting it without hesitation, Johan took a bite, much to Flint's astonishment.
"Johan, your bond with your Pokémon is truly admirable," Flint said with genuine admiration.
Johan smiled faintly. "We've been through a lot together."
Standing abruptly, Flint clenched his fists. "Johan, how about a battle?"
"Huh?"
"I hear you're aiming for the Indigo League. My Pewter Gym badge might come in handy for you. Think of it as my thanks for today!"
Wait, isn't a badge supposed to be earned through official means?
Johan sighed internally.
Once again, it seemed Erika had been spreading his plans around.
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Powerstones?
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