Secrets of the Earth could easily be called Giovanni's magnum opus.
It was said that Giovanni earned the title "As long as I stand upon the earth, I shall not be defeated", thus gaining the moniker Giovanni of the Earth.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the only time Giovanni lost to Red was due to a cheap shot involving insulated gloves and a decisive finishing move.
Later, when Green acquired Giovanni's Secrets of the Earth, he built a formidable team in under a year.
This demonstrated that Secrets of the Earth wasn't just about training Ground-type Pokémon or teaching Ground-type moves.
It contained Giovanni's lifetime of experience in raising Pokémon.
His unparalleled strength, combined with the magnanimity to share his wisdom with others, was what gave Giovanni the aura of a true master.
No wonder Gengar was so engrossed in it.
Even it seemed to absorb some strategies and methods from the book.
Strictly speaking, without its Levitate ability, Gengar could also be considered a Pokémon "standing upon the earth."
However...
Some methods in the book were a little too... destructive.
Not for the Pokémon—but for Johan's house!
Seeing Gengar's serious expression, Johan massaged his temples and sighed.
"All right, all right. That's enough for now. I still have a meeting at school today. I'll be late if we don't leave soon."
"Ka-kah~~"
Gengar reluctantly ejected the USB drive and swallowed it into its stomach.
At the school, the end-of-term faculty meeting was as important as ever.
For Johan, though, participation was more symbolic than anything else.
Originally, he'd planned to attend the meeting today and fly to Kalos tomorrow.
To avoid arriving unexpectedly, he decided to call Professor Sycamore ahead of time.
Surprisingly, Sycamore didn't answer. Instead, a young voice picked up the phone.
"Sorry, Mr. Johan. Professor Sycamore is out on an errand right now..."
The voice sounded a bit youthful but clear and articulate—probably one of Sycamore's assistants.
"I see," Johan replied, slightly surprised but relieved.
Good thing I didn't just fly straight to Kalos—would've been awkward to find no one there.
It wasn't unusual for professors to be out in the field, so Johan wasn't too concerned.
"Well then, when Professor Sycamore returns, could you have him give me a call? Thanks."
"Of course! That's no problem at all."
"By the way... who am I speaking with?"
"Alan. Mr. Johan, my name's Alan. I'm Professor Sycamore's assistant."
Alan?
The name sparked an image in Johan's mind—a stoic, cool-looking teenager.
Alan, the Water-Absorb Charizard Trainer!
Ash's inability to win the Kalos League was a sore spot for many Pokémon fans.
And his greatest rival? Alan.
Although Ash later claimed victory in Alola, that league wasn't exactly fully developed yet, making the victory feel somewhat provincial.
Still, it couldn't be denied that "Water-Absorb Charizard" memes aside, Alan was incredibly strong.
He had single-handedly defeated ten opponents and had the backing of Fire-type Elite Four member Malva.
But right now, Alan was just a research assistant for Professor Sycamore—far from the powerhouse he'd become.
"All right, Alan. Thanks again."
After hanging up, Johan paused.
"Ka-kah?"
Gengar tilted its head, sensing Johan's hesitation.
"Well, I guess I'm not going to Kalos anytime soon. That means... I'm free for now."
At that moment, the sky darkened, and light rain began to fall. Johan hurried to take shelter under the gatehouse.
"Does this mean... I'm going to have to write exam papers for the kids?"
The term exams were still a ways off, and writing tests this early would only give the students nightmares.
Failing too many students wouldn't look good either.
"Guess I'll save that for the last minute, like always."
Watching the rain grow heavier, Johan smiled.
"This weather's perfect for staying indoors."
However, they were low on groceries at home.
Johan released his Pokémon, lining them up in a neat row with Gengar at the lead.
Holding up his phone, he said, "You have three seconds to call out what you want to eat."
"Ka-kah!" (Fried pork cutlet!)
"Oowu!" (Vanilla ice cream!)
"Chu!" (Mapo tofu!)
"Draaa!" (Sashimi!)
"Excellent!" Johan nodded approvingly. "Then tonight... we'll have dumplings!"
The Pokémon: ???
You called us out here just to ignore us?
"Ka-kah!" (Get him!)
Gengar growled menacingly, rallying the others.
Dragonair prepared to bind him, Gengar readied Paralysis, and Vulpix froze the right flank with Ice Beam.
Thud.
Tinkatuff set its hammer on the ground with a heavy clang, smiling mischievously as it dragged the hammer toward Johan step by step...
Kalos, Lumiose City.
In a quiet café, two men sat across from each other.
The red-haired man exuded an aura of authority—Lysandre, leader of Team Flare and representative of the Lysandre Labs.
Opposite him was a scruffy man in his thirties, wearing a dark blue shirt—Professor Sycamore.
Though they belonged to different research organizations, the two were close friends.
"Any progress lately?" Lysandre asked, passing Sycamore a cup of coffee.
Sycamore smiled. "Same as always."
Lysandre wasn't surprised. Instead, he slid a small slip of paper across the table.
"What's this?"
"A ruin. You'll find what you're looking for there."
Sycamore hesitated.
He didn't need to ask—Lysandre clearly meant Mega Stones and Key Stones.
However, instead of taking the paper immediately, Sycamore stirred his coffee thoughtfully.
"Lysandre."
"Hmm?"
Sycamore studied Lysandre's eyes for a long moment before sighing, his tone filled with quiet disappointment.
"Sometimes, I feel like you've changed—become someone I don't recognize. But other times..."
"I feel like you're still the same person you used to be."
Lysandre chuckled.
"I haven't changed."
The smile faded from his face as he turned to look out the window, staring at the bustling streets of Lumiose City.
"What's changed... is this world."
"Or rather, what needs to change... is this world!"
For a fleeting moment, his face twisted into an expression of rage and madness.
Sycamore caught it, his heart sinking.
But he quickly regained his composure.
Taking the slip of paper, he stood up. "When I get back, I'll introduce you to a friend."
"A friend?" Lysandre raised an eyebrow.
Sycamore's circle of friends was notoriously small.
Smiling cryptically, Sycamore left the café.
Looking up at the overcast sky, he sighed.
"I need to find him a good psychologist. Lysandre's mindset is growing increasingly extreme..."
"Hopefully, Johan can help him."
Hoenn, Rustboro City. Café, Second Floor.
Condensation misted the windows as warm air filled the room.
Dragonair used its tail to draw crooked doodles on the foggy glass, smiling contentedly.
Rubbing his face, Johan walked over.
"The fat blob is Gengar. The six tails are Vulpix. The one with the hammer is Tinkatuff. And the one flying... is you."
Turning to Dragonair, he deadpanned, "So tell me, what's this lump on the ground?"
"Draaa" (You guess)
Johan rolled his eyes.
"Guess whether I'll guess or not."
Gathering his Pokémon around the table, he sighed.
"Can you guys stop taking things so seriously? I was just teasing you."
The Pokémon were now behaving, though Johan knew they had him wrapped around their little paws.
"All right. I'll teach you how to knead dough and roll dumpling wrappers."
Making dumplings was a family affair.
Besides, this way he could keep an eye on Gengar—he didn't want it sneaking into the kitchen while he was distracted.
Gengar excelled at kneading dough, thanks to its "ball-rolling" expertise. Vulpix's six tails made it the most efficient wrapper of all.
As for Tinkatuff...
Its raw strength made it perfect for chopping the filling. Johan handed it two plastic knives and assigned it the new task of dicing vegetables.
Dragonair, lacking hands, had its tail repurposed as a rolling pin.
"Make only what we can eat," Johan said as he worked.
He glanced over to see Gengar with a mountain of dumpling wrappers piled next to it.
"Ka-kah!"
Hot dumplings, golden-fried pork cutlets, vanilla ice cream, spicy mapo tofu, and fresh sashimi soon filled the table.
"Cheers!"
Johan clinked his soda can with his Pokémon's drinks—Moomoo Milk, fruit juice, and sodas of their choice.
"Let's eat!"
The table descended into chaos.
"Gengar, don't dump the entire plate into your mouth! And no using Double Team!"
"Ka-kah! Σ(дlll)"
As laughter echoed through the warm, light-filled room, the camera slowly pulled away.
Outside, the rain continued to fall softly against the windows.
"Oowu?" (Who made this ugly dumpling?)
"Must be Gengar!"
"Ka-kah!" (It's clearly yours!)
"Was it Tinkatuff?"
"Chu!" (This masterpiece is mine!)
"Then it's Dragonair!"
"Draaa?" (Me?)
"Oh, who cares? It's delicious... I was just trying to make a Vulpix, but it fell apart halfway through."
More laughter rang out, spreading warmth into the rainy night.
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Powerstones?
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