The next morning...
"Ka-kah!!"
Johan was startled awake by Gastly's panicked cries. He opened his sleepy eyes to see Gastly darting around the room like a headless chicken.
"Waking up without being numbed by a lick feels... almost strange," Johan muttered, his hand instinctively reaching to his bedside table for a Cheri Berry.
"What's wrong? Did you lose your learning machine?" he asked.
"Ka-kah Ka-kah!" Gastly responded, calling out anxiously.
The little fox is gone!
Huh?
Johan suddenly remembered the new addition to their home—a Pokémon.
He glanced towards the foot of the bed, but there was no sign of the Alolan Vulpix.
"Don't panic," he reassured Gastly. "We're on the sixth floor; it's not like it jumped out of a window. The door's locked, so it's got to be somewhere in the apartment."
With that, Johan hurried out of bed and began searching the apartment alongside Gastly.
"Ka-kah!!"
Luckily, Gastly's ability to phase through walls and furniture paid off. It finally found the little Vulpix huddled under the corner of a wardrobe.
The Vulpix had curled up tightly against the wall, hiding its head beneath its fluffy tail, with only two crystal-blue eyes peeking out.
Seeing Johan crouch down to peer at it and Gastly's mischievous grin, the Vulpix let out a warning growl.
"Oowu!!"
The little Pokémon bared its two tiny fangs, growling at them in a low, defensive tone.
Adorably fierce.
"Ka-kah~~"
Gastly's eyes sparkled with delight.
So cute~~
Johan, however, felt a weight settle in his chest.
The Alolan Vulpix's wariness is even worse than I thought...
It likely had a lot to do with whatever it had been through.
After considering for a moment, Johan grabbed a handful of Pokéblocks, crouched down, and extended his hand into the wardrobe's shadows.
Even as a Pokémon psychologist, gaining the trust of a hurt Pokémon still required basic communication and interaction.
And without the Vulpix using any abilities or moves, he couldn't read its Pokédex entry to learn more about it.
As the Vulpix sniffed the aroma of the Pokéblocks, its blue eyes flicked warily between Johan and the offered food.
"Go on, eat," Johan said with a gentle smile. "You lost a lot of blood yesterday, and you're still very weak. Eat something to get your strength back."
"Ka-kah Ka-kah~~"
Gastly encouraged the Vulpix as well, swallowing its own saliva.
Pokéblocks are so delicious. There's no way you can resist!
The Alolan Vulpix stared at the Pokéblocks for a moment.
Whap!
Suddenly, it swatted Johan's hand away with its paw, scattering the blocks across the floor.
"Hiss—"
Johan winced, three scratch marks appearing on his hand as fresh blood welled up from the wounds.
The Vulpix's eyes briefly showed a flash of guilt and distress before its expression hardened again.
"Ka-kah!"
Gastly hurriedly picked up each Pokéblock with great care, blowing on them gently, as if trying to make them less dirty.
Its eyes held a confused glint.
This makes no sense. Pokéblocks are so tasty!
Gastly couldn't help but compare this moment to its own recruitment—Johan had only needed a single cup of instant ramen to win it over.
The Vulpix's blue eyes watched Gastly's movements through the narrow gap beneath the wardrobe.
Johan leaned against the side of the wardrobe and slowly sat down, ignoring the pain from his scratches.
He was long used to minor injuries thanks to Gastly's antics, and this was no different.
"I remember..." he began, almost talking to himself.
"I once had a friend, a lot like you. He ended up all alone in a foreign place—a new city, a new school. He was afraid to get close to anyone and couldn't afford to fall behind in his studies."
"He loved Pokémon but didn't dare raise one. He had no time, no energy, and no money. So he chose to study Pokémon psychology because he thought... the hearts of Pokémon were simpler than people's."
To others, the original Johan seemed impressive.
He entered Silversilver Academy with the highest theory scores in all of the Hoenn region. He even graduated early after finishing the coursework well ahead of schedule, only a few years older than Steven and the others.
But no one knew how much he had sacrificed to achieve those grades and how much time he had given up.
"Ka-kah Ka-kah..."
Gastly, who had returned to Johan's side without him noticing, was listening intently, its expression complicated.
It was the first time it had ever heard Johan share this story.
Hearing about someone else's struggles, even when spoken of calmly, could always bring to mind one's own experiences.
"Oowu..."
A soft whimper came from beneath the wardrobe.
Johan and Gastly exchanged a look, sharing a smile.
This time, Johan didn't crouch down. Instead, he placed the Pokéblocks on a small dish and gently slid it under the wardrobe.
"Here, have something to eat," he offered. "When you've recovered, if you want to go home, I'll take you back to Alola. But if you want to stay..."
Before he could finish speaking, Johan felt a cold, soft tongue lick the wound on his hand.
The sensation was icy and gentle.
"Ka-kah~~"
"We're back—"
Before Johan had even opened the door, Gastly phased through it and eagerly searched the apartment for the Alolan Vulpix.
It caught a glimpse of the little white Pokémon scampering away.
"Looks like she's regained some energy," Johan observed as he walked in, carrying a bag.
After a day of gentle reassurance, the Alolan Vulpix had become less fearful of Johan and Gastly. Considering her weakened state, Johan had taken Gastly out shopping at the department store that evening.
Returning home, Johan saw Gastly waiting by the wardrobe once more.
It was clear where the Vulpix had hidden again.
Johan sighed inwardly.
Pokémon may have simple hearts, but they were still intelligent creatures capable of thought.
In some ways, their hearts were both resilient and fragile.
Resilient in how they could silently endure for countless years, keeping promises.
Fragile in how betrayal or abandonment could leave gaping wounds that might never heal.
"Vulpix, I bought you a gift," Johan said, sitting beside the wardrobe. "Would you like to see it?"
He pulled three light blue bows from his pocket.
"Oowu?"
The Alolan Vulpix poked her head out from under the wardrobe, eyeing the bows with bright, twinkling eyes.
"Can I put one on you?" Johan asked gently.
"Oowu..."
The Vulpix hesitated, then pulled her head back under the wardrobe.
"Ka-kah..."
Gastly drooped its head, disappointed.
Johan gave Gastly a reassuring smile.
Then, in a sudden blur of white, the Vulpix darted out from under the wardrobe and leaped straight into Johan's arms.
Thump!
The force of the jump knocked Johan flat on his back.
The Vulpix burrowed deep into Johan's embrace, her small body trembling slightly.
It seemed like she had made a big decision—and was feeling afraid and uncertain about it.
Sensing the Vulpix's nervousness, Johan smiled softly and gently cradled her in his arms.
He didn't say anything, just stroked her back slowly.
After a long while, the Vulpix finally began to calm down.
"Alright, let's get these on," Johan said, holding up the bows.
He tied one around her neck and placed the other two on her ears.
"All done! Take a look." Johan held up a mirror.
"Oowu?"
The Alolan Vulpix lifted her head hesitantly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"Ka-kah!!"
Gastly let out an excited howl, its tone almost wolf-like.
"They look great! I must have a good eye," Johan praised, smiling.
The Vulpix's blush deepened, and she shyly lowered her head.
Then, as if making another big decision, the little Pokémon leaned forward, gently licking Johan's cheek with her cool tongue.
"Ka-kah Ka-kah!"
Me too! Me too!
Gastly floated over, cackling gleefully, and stuck out its red tongue to lick Johan's other cheek.
Sluuurp—
One side of Johan's face began to frost over, while the other started to go numb.
Johan's mouth twitched.
Oddly... not too bad?
Up to this point, it seemed like everything was going perfectly.
However, Gastly was so excited that its tongue stretched out too far, splashing saliva onto one of Vulpix's new bows.
Stare!
In an instant, the Alolan Vulpix's entire demeanor changed.
Her eyes glowed with a faint blue light.
"Ka-Kah?! Σ(дlll)"
Wham!!
Gastly was sent flying, crashing hard against the wall.
Cold sweat dripped
down its face.
Psychic?!
Johan's pupils contracted.
He glanced at Gastly, now plastered against the wall.
Then he looked down at the Alolan Vulpix, who was blushing furiously and looking unsure of what had just happened.
It seems... she isn't fully aware of her abilities.
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Powerstones?
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