Pokemon: Spiritual Master

Sunday, clear skies.

At Rustboro Pokémon Academy, the campus was quieter than usual after classes had officially ended.

In the Pokémon world, winter and summer vacations lasted for about two months. However, some diligent students still came to the academy's training grounds daily for personal practice after their coursework.

Today, Johan returned to the academy to train with his Pokémon.

"Marshadow's gone?"

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar shrugged, indicating that it wasn't sure.

After eating the radish mochi yesterday, Marshadow disappeared, but Gengar sensed that it might have just temporarily hidden itself. Odds were, it would pop back up the next time there was food—particularly something delicious.

Johan nodded. That matched his guess.

"Marshadow's still a bit shy, huh…" Johan mused aloud.

Far away, hidden in the shadows of a corner, a pair of orange-glowing eyes peeked out. Emerging from the darkness, Marshadow put on a resolute and determined expression.

This bearer of the "Rainbow Wing" could only be kept in check by someone as capable as me, the great "Shadow Guide."

For the sake of the Pokémon world and to fulfill Ho-Oh's sacred mission, I, Marshadow, must carefully watch over him!

Its inner resolve strengthened, Marshadow gave a firm nod—though, truth be told, part of its motivation was to see what delicious food Johan would make next.

At the training grounds.

"Gengar, Ninetales, feeling alright?" Johan asked, looking at his Pokémon.

"Ka-kaah~~!"

"Oowoo~~!"

Gengar and Ninetales shook their heads, signaling they felt fine.

It seemed the Ice and Black Radishes hadn't caused any negative side effects for them, meaning the crops could be cultivated on a larger scale.

To be fair, both radishes had excellent taste. No wonder Glastrier and Spectrier were so keen on them.

Clapping his hands, Johan began assigning today's training tasks.

After their Johto expedition, each of his Pokémon had made progress and now had areas to work on:

Ninetales had mastered "Perpetual Ice Wall," pairing it with the snowstorm's defense boost and Aurora Veil to become the team's strongest defensive member. However, perfecting the technique would take time. Luckily, the work aligned with Ninetales' love for making snowmen and ice sculptures.

Dragonair, now a Dragonite, was Johan's most dramatically changed Pokémon. Its massive growth meant it had the heaviest training load to help it adapt to its new body and master techniques like controlled Outrage.

Charcadet had gained "Entei's Blessing," channeling a portion of Sacred Fire. It now had more energy and could unleash stronger fire-type moves. The academy's facilities were perfect for its training.

Gengar had already learned "Phantom Force," but refining its proficiency would require more battles.

As for Tinkaton, it was still studying the blueprints for crafting the "Scared Wood" Johan had acquired in Johto. When the time came, it could forge the weapon Charcadet needed for its evolution.

During their warm-up drills, Kubfu walked among its teammates with its hands behind its back, pointing out flaws in their stances.

As the group's "coach," Kubfu took its job seriously, showcasing its rock-solid fundamentals as it provided feedback to each Pokémon.

Training could be monotonous, but with Gengar in the mix, it was anything but dull.

For instance:

Gengar pulled Dragonite aside to whisper conspiratorially, "The instant noodles the other night did have seasoning packets. What went missing was the fork. Don't let Johan fool you."

Later, Gengar gathered Tinkaton, Kubfu, and Charcadet to scheme about creating an "Armor Squad." It imagined itself as the cunning leader, Tinkaton as the noble second-in-command, Kubfu as the valiant warrior, and Charcadet as the fiery spearhead of the team.

Johan, overhearing this, began to suspect Gengar had been listening to too many "Three Kingdoms" stories.

Yet, with Gengar providing comedic relief, training sessions were filled with as much laughter as effort, which suited Johan just fine.

Days passed.

After several intense training sessions, the academy informed Johan that their facilities were undergoing renovations and would be temporarily unavailable.

The news was delivered by Martin, the head of the academy's administrative office.

Johan didn't mind. "That's good news! Some of the facilities were a little outdated—too fragile. It's unsafe."

Martin's expression twitched slightly.

In truth, Rustboro Academy was one of the most well-funded institutions, with relatively modern facilities. The issue wasn't the equipment—it was Johan's Pokémon, who seemed to demolish everything in sight.

Fortunately, the academy's president had connections and pulled strings to secure state-of-the-art upgrades, including the latest protective barriers used in official tournaments and gym battles.

The renovations would take time, so for now, Johan had to find alternative training options.

"Should I challenge gyms?" Johan wondered.

He briefly regretted not spending more time in Blackthorn City to use Lance's training facilities. And with Steven away on one of his mineral-hunting expeditions, Johan couldn't rely on his old friend's world-class training grounds either.

With the academy and private facilities off-limits, wild areas seemed like the only option.

That evening.

After finishing an online counseling session, Johan sat with his Pokémon to watch a movie. This had become a household tradition: gathering in the living room to watch a spooky horror film.

Johan leaned against Dragonite's soft belly, Ninetales' fluffy tails draped over him like a blanket. The scene was cozy and peaceful.

Despite being ghost-types, Gengar and Rotom hid under a blanket, trembling at every jump scare.

"You're supposed to be ghosts," Johan muttered, rolling his eyes.

Halfway through the movie, Johan's phone buzzed unexpectedly, causing Gengar and Rotom to shriek and faint dramatically.

Stepping out to the balcony, Johan answered the call.

It was Cynthia.

"Do you have time in the coming weeks?" Cynthia's voice sounded fatigued.

"What's up?" Johan asked, noting the exhaustion in her tone.

"Ugh…" Cynthia sighed. "The Sinnoh League asked my grandmother to assist with some investigations. She passed part of the task to me, and while going through the archives, I found something that made me think of you. I could really use your help."

"What kind of help?" Johan inquired.

"Ruins, ancient texts, and some research on ancient Pokémon," Cynthia explained.

Ancient Pokémon?

Johan's mind immediately thought of fossil Pokémon like Shieldon and Cranidos, common in Sinnoh.

This might be worth exploring, especially with his expertise in calming ancient Pokémon.

"Heading to Sinnoh, huh?" Johan murmured.

He glanced at his Pokémon, who were suspiciously eavesdropping from behind the door.

Opening the sliding door, Johan saw Gengar, Tinkaton, Dragonite, Ninetales, and even Kubfu lined up perfectly, pretending to act casual as they scattered in all directions.

Returning to his call, Johan replied, "Alright, I'll help. When do you want me to leave?"

"I'll book your ticket," Cynthia offered.

"Sounds good," Johan agreed, before casually adding, "By the way… is your training ground available?"

"Uh… what?" Cynthia replied, sounding slightly confused.

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Powerstones?

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