"We lost."
Lance accepted the outcome graciously.
He recalled the unconscious Aerodactyl, replaying the battle in his mind.
With every replay, a chill ran down his spine.
No, let's just stick to replaying the battle against Steven.
Replaying the one against Johan gave him an unsettling feeling.
And he made up his mind.
Once he got back, every one of his Pokémon had to learn Taunt! There was no other way to counter it.
"No wonder Drake praises this person so highly—using another trainer's Pokémon and still pulling off such tactics. This level of strategic prowess probably surpasses most regular Gym Leaders…"
After all, he was commanding someone else's Pokémon.
He didn't know Skarmory's characteristics or the proficiency of its moves.
The difficulty of managing that far exceeded commanding one's own Pokémon.
Moreover…
Steven's Skarmory was strong yet still willing to obey Johan, which spoke volumes about Johan's ability.
To Lance, Gastly seemed to be what was holding back Johan's full potential.
"But Johan has trained his Gastly extremely well. With Agatha's 'Terror Handbook' in hand, his training progress is bound to be swift."
Lance, blessed with Viridian Forest's power, the so-called "Viridian Power," could sense things to some degree, even if his control was far from perfect.
Johan's future strength...
"It's hard to say."
"At least, he could reach the level of an Elite Four."
Steven's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"That was incredible!"
When Johan first gave him suggestions, he took them seriously, but due to his habits, he hadn't fully implemented or practiced them yet.
But today's battle had given him a real lesson.
It was as if Johan was saying, "Look, Steven—this is how Skarmory should fight."
He realized something important.
The opponent he'd been searching for was right beside him.
Why had Steven been so eager to take over the Devon Corporation?
Was it solely because he worried about his father's health?
Did he not like Pokémon?
No.
He absolutely loved Pokémon, including Pokémon battles.
But when someone doesn't have to put in much effort to be one of the best among their peers, it's easy to lose enthusiasm for it over time.
He loved Pokémon, but he didn't necessarily have to focus on battling, right?
In contrast, taking over a company he wasn't as familiar with presented more of a challenge.
However, today...
He met Lance.
More importantly, he witnessed Johan's strategic brilliance.
He realized that there were skilled people his age after all.
That Johan was so strong!
Not only did Johan excel in theoretical studies, publishing papers that even received Professor Oak's praise, but he was also a Pokémon psychology expert. He raised an exceptional Gastly and demonstrated incredible tactical prowess.
If Johan can excel in so many areas, why can't I?
Johan's "three-pronged strategy" had indeed succeeded—just not in the way he might have expected. Steven's new target had slightly shifted off-course.
"Ka-kah~~"
Gastly's eyes sparkled like stars.
So this is the "Protect-Toxic-Substitute" combo?
It had already mastered Toxic and Substitute; all it needed now was Protect.
Gastly felt that as soon as it mastered that move, under Johan's guidance, it would be—
Super powerful!
It felt incredibly confident now!
Kicking out Champions and taking down Elite Four members one day isn't impossible at all!
Ka-kah-kah~~
"Well done, Skarmory," Johan smiled and extended his hand to Skarmory.
"Kaa~~"
Skarmory shyly turned its head, its cheeks slightly flushed, and lightly tapped Johan's hand with its wing before flying back to Steven.
You were the one who commanded so well.
"Ow—"
Johan grimaced, clutching his now-red hand, feeling the sting.
He then noticed Skarmory's embarrassed demeanor.
So it's a female?
"Johan, your command was exceptional. You've shown me your true strength," Lance approached with softened eyes and a smile, extending his hand. "I look forward to facing you in a real battle someday."
"Don't hold your breath," Johan replied, shaking Lance's hand lightly, given how sore it was.
"But I have a feeling I won't have to wait too long," Lance said, glancing at Gastly, who was clearly brimming with excitement.
"It longs for that moment when you two will astonish the world."
Johan pressed his lips together.
As long as I can afford to "astonish" the world…
"By the way, about Aerodactyl…"
Lance finally remembered the issue with Aerodactyl after his mind had been consumed with thoughts about Protect and countering it.
"There shouldn't be much of an issue. After Skarmory's thorough… um, stimulation, its new goal is clear. The fact that it didn't lose control at the end is proof enough," Johan reassured him.
Lance nodded.
That made sense.
"However, to be safe, I'll record a 'Relaxation Hypnosis' audio clip for you. Just play it for Aerodactyl each day to reinforce its recovery."
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Since he had taken on the task, he was determined to do it well. Fortunately, Aerodactyl's condition wasn't too severe, so a combination of physical treatment and psychological support would suffice.
"Oh, one more thing…"
Lance seemed to remember something, rummaging through his belongings until he produced a pendant shaped like a dragon's claw.
"I didn't really prepare anything for you, so please accept this 'Sharp Fang' as a token of my gratitude."
[Sharp Fang: A held item that grants the Pokémon a chance to make its opponent flinch when using any move that normally wouldn't cause a flinch.]
This item is perfect for Gastly!
"Well, I shouldn't—after all, you already gave me the 'Terror Handbook'..."
Johan adeptly took the Sharp Fang.
"That was the 'treatment fee,' and this is a 'courtesy gift.' It's different."
Seeing Johan accept it, Lance didn't say much more.
Steven and Gastly also joined them.
"Speaking of which, Teacher, I should thank you for the lesson too. Here, I accidentally bought an extra 'Protect' TM last time…"
"Ka-kah!"
Before Johan could respond, Gastly had already snatched the TM with its tongue.
Protect!
"You guys really don't have to…"
Johan accepted the TM from Gastly.
"We're all friends here. Your thoughts alone are enough."
After chatting and exchanging training and battle insights for a while, the trio parted ways.
Over the Hoenn region's seas, Charizard's wings beat steadily, carrying Lance back to the Kanto region.
"Yes, Drake, it's all taken care of. Johan is very skilled, incredibly skilled!"
After hanging up, another call came in. Seeing the name displayed, Lance smiled.
"Winona."
"Yes, everything's fine. He's a Pokémon psychologist, but also a skilled trainer—tactically brilliant. Too bad you couldn't see it."
"Oh? I forgot about that. Even though this wasn't an official mission, the 'field recorder' was still on… Hmm, it's not a mission or classified information, so it's fine to show you…"
He detached a small camera clipped to his shoulder and cape.
"I've sent it."
"Agatha's calling; I'll talk to you later."
In the rural Devon estate…
"Skarmory, let's refine our strategy."
Steven rolled up his sleeves, his eyes alight with enthusiasm.
Not far away, Joseph, accompanied by a floating Castform, smiled as he watched.
"How long has it been since I saw Steven so happy?"
Johan only visited once, and Steven had already rekindled his passion for Pokémon. This reassured Joseph that his decision a few days ago was the right one.
"Woo~~"
Castform happily circled around him.
"Right? Maybe it's time to give Johan a raise?"
"Woo-woo~~"
"Oh, and help Steven get registered for the competition."
"Ka-kah~~"
Gastly followed Johan into the apartment complex, exuding confidence.
"Keep it low-key," Johan couldn't help but say.
"Whether human or ghost, you've got to learn humility. Don't get swayed by superficial things."
Beep, beep—
Johan's phone chimed. When he looked at it, he saw a message.
[Eevee Eats Cabbage]: Time for relaxation.
[Grain in the Field]: On my way!
"Ka-kah?" Gastly blinked, puzzled.
Superficial things?
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Powerstones?
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