Afternoon.
Having advanced to the top 16 thanks to a bye, meaning he didn't need to participate in the assessment, Johan could only take his three little Pokémon to the training grounds to burn off their energy.
If he didn't wear them out a bit more, either he or his home would bear the consequences.
He'd already learned this hard lesson the hard way.
But since he switched to a new energy cube formula, the three little ones were even more energetic, so Johan had no choice but to gradually increase their training intensity.
Even so, every day at home still turned into a chaotic scene.
He constantly worried that Haunter might one day coax Tinkatink into using "Metronome," hoping for the ridiculously rare chance to trigger "Skill Swap."
"Being a Trainer is so hard."
[Little Growlithe]: Sorry it's taken me so long to reach out again. I was suddenly sent to school and couldn't get my phone.
Seeing the message pop up on his phone, Johan collected his thoughts.
Running away, skipping classes—this kid's problems seemed to be getting worse.
But since kids in the Pokémon world can travel alone from age ten, it didn't feel completely strange.
[Grain in the Field]: School? What school? [Little Growlithe]: The Pokémon Research Academy.
Hmm?
Johan knew of the school; it was rather unique.
Located in the Kanto region, it's known for strict discipline, although it has an extensive curriculum—if a bit rigid, in his view.
The curriculum overemphasized Pokémon type advantages.
The reason it's special, however, is that graduates can skip the gym challenge for badges and go straight to the Pokémon League competition! However, its graduation rate is very low.
It's a classic "academy-style" school.
[Little Growlithe]: Haha, don't worry about me! Today my partner and I got recommended to join a big company! We'll soon have jobs and be able to earn our own money!
A big company?
Going in to turn screws?
This actually reassured Johan.
Most of the time, those who ran away or dropped out discovered society's difficulties soon enough and would realize the comfort of home or the benefits of school.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
[Grain in the Field]: Then I wish you luck. If you need any help, feel free to contact me. Or if you feel uncomfortable in Kanto, you can always come to Hoenn for a change of scenery.
After a moment's pause, the reply finally came in.
[Little Growlithe]: Thank you!
The other person's profile icon quickly dimmed.
Though there wasn't much exchange, Johan felt that this person wasn't bad—if anything, they seemed a bit naive.
Putting away his phone, Johan heard a loud "clang, clang, clang" nearby.
Tinkatink was swinging its hammer, sweating profusely in the sun.
Yesterday, the rare metal he had requested from Steven had arrived. Although Tinkatink was hammering a piece of metal only about palm-sized, its weight was astonishing.
According to Steven, this metal was developed by Devon Corporation to mimic Aggron's armor. It had high density and was balanced in weight, hardness, and malleability.
Normally, Tinkatink could fuse any metal into its hammer in minutes, but today it had been at it all afternoon without success.
But seeing its enthusiasm, Johan decided not to intervene.
Let it keep hammering.
Hopefully, it would fall asleep on the way home, giving him some peace.
The instructor's assessment brought a hint of excitement to an otherwise calm weekend.
But once the weekend was over, things seemed to return to the usual pace.
Wednesday.
Johan clicked his mouse, submitting his students' midterm grades and class participation scores.
Finishing that, he let out a long sigh of relief.
"Luckily, I managed to pull everyone up."
Of course, some scores were better than others, but his students had been "well-behaved" in class, so their participation scores were good.
With Johan's help, even the underperformers managed to reach passing grades.
"I really am a good teacher…"
Feeling good, he made himself a cup of coffee.
Just as he took a sip, his phone rang.
It was a call from Officer Jenny of the Kanaz Police Department.
Johan didn't hesitate and answered immediately.
"Hello, Officer Jenny? It's Johan."
Wind howled through the phone, along with the hum of traffic; she seemed to be in a vehicle.
"Mr. Johan, I'm sorry to disturb you, but we could use your help."
Help?
Johan blinked.
He had still been going to the Kanaz Police Department to calm down frenzied Pokémon whenever he was free.
But recently, things had been improving, with fewer frenzied Pokémon being brought in.
Although Johan lost some income because of it, he felt it was a good thing.
After all, it meant fewer wild Pokémon were getting hurt.
And Officer Jenny had never actively called him for help before.
"Is there some trouble?"
"It's hard to explain over the phone. I'll be at your school entrance shortly. Please come with me, and I'll explain on the way."
After that, she hung up.
At the school gate?
The urgency in Officer Jenny's voice suggested that this was serious.
Johan didn't hesitate much longer and called out.
"Haunter, Vulpix, Tinkatink, stop playing. We've got a mission."
He gathered the three little ones and headed quickly to the academy's entrance.
"Mr. Johan, get in!"
At the Kanaz Academy gate, Officer Jenny pulled up in an open-top Jeep. The moment she saw him, she called him over.
As soon as he got in, the car sped off. "So fast?!"
Johan was thrown against the seat, quickly fastening his seatbelt and gripping the door handle.
"What's going on?"
"A large group of frenzied wild Pokémon has appeared in Petalburg Woods. A farm has been attacked and damaged."
Officer Jenny's face was grave, her hands gripping the wheel tightly as she floored the accelerator.
Cars on the road made way, allowing her to speed up even more.
Johan's expression grew serious.
A large group of frenzied wild Pokémon?
Officer Jenny went on.
"We don't know the cause yet. Two of my colleagues patrolling the area have already gone there, but we've lost contact with them."
It did seem serious.
Johan opened his mouth.
It's urgent, but could we maybe slow down a little?
With Officer Jenny's high-speed driving, they soon reached the southern suburbs of Kanaz City.
Further south was the famous Petalburg Woods—the largest forest area in all of Hoenn.
It housed a large number of wild Pokémon of varying strengths.
The weaker ones couldn't even escape a Bug Catcher's net, while stronger ones could even challenge a Gym Leader.
They stopped the car.
A bit shaky, Johan climbed out, his face pale.
Officer Jenny approached an elderly farm couple dressed in farming clothes. With them were a Houndoom and a Mightyena.
In the distance, he could faintly hear crashing and rumbling sounds.
After listening to the farm couple's description, Officer Jenny's expression grew more serious, and Johan finally regained some composure.
"Sorry about that, Mr. Johan."
Seeing his state, Officer Jenny quickly apologized.
Johan waved it off.
Scanning his surroundings, he said, "It can't be just us two, right?" he asked, slightly stunned.
A whole horde of frenzied wild Pokémon—were the two of them expected to handle it?
"Support is on the way," Officer Jenny said.
Relieved, Johan sighed.
Good.
"But we need to assess the situation, at least to confirm my two colleagues' condition."
Her expression was somber.
Then, she removed two Pokéballs from her belt and tossed them out.
A majestic Arcanine and an adorable Houndour appeared by her side.
They clearly knew Johan, giving him a friendly bark.
The little Houndour even ran up to Johan, tongue out, tail wagging.
Seeing this, Johan chuckled, crouched down, and expertly popped two energy cubes into Houndour's mouth, receiving an affectionate "face-washing" in return.
Johan also summoned Haunter, Vulpix, and Tinkatink.
"Ka-kah!"
Haunter grinned, pulling a spooky face at Arcanine and Growlithe.
Growlithe immediately zeroed in on Vulpix, running over with its tongue out and looking very eager.
But Vulpix hid behind Johan, not paying it much mind.
Only Tinkatink seemed drowsy, like it hadn't slept enough.
There wasn't much time for playing around. With signals from Johan and Officer Jenny, the Pokémon settled down.
Together, they cautiously approached the farm.
Once they reached a patch of bushes, they finally saw the farm's current state.
Pokémon—all wild Pokémon!
There were at least thirty to forty!
Leading them was a strong-looking Shiftry.
The wild Pokémon were rampaging through the farm, destroying crops.
Trampled berries littered the ground.
They could even see more wild Pokémon coming in from Petalburg Woods.
This many?
Both Johan and Officer Jenny were surprised.
The intel Officer Jenny had received hadn't indicated such numbers.
Seeing the trampled berries on the ground, Haunter looked pained.
"Ka-kah…"
What a waste.
Suddenly…
The Shiftry standing on the rooftop perked up its ears and turned its gaze toward the bushes where Johan
and Officer Jenny were hiding.
"Dohtay!"
Shiftry waved its fan-like hand, immediately sending a "Air Cutter" attack their way.
Johan and Officer Jenny's faces both changed.
"Ka-kah!!"
Haunter reacted the fastest, quickly creating a "Shadow Ball" to intercept.
Boom!!
The collision of the two moves created a loud impact, instantly drawing the attention of all the frenzied wild Pokémon in the farm.
Johan whispered, "Um… how long until support arrives?"
Officer Jenny's face remained serious.
"Soon."
Johan: "…"
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This is the last of the bonus, I want to stay in the power rankings so powerstones please.
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates