Pokemon: Spiritual Master

Wednesday, cloudy with occasional rain.

Sinnoh Region, Jubilife City.

As the largest city in the Sinnoh Region, Jubilife City boasted a high degree of modernization, with skyscrapers lining its streets.

It was said that Jubilife City was built by settlers from Oreburgh City on the slopes of a mountain they had mined. Thanks to its extensive transportation network, the city had become a hub for businesses and corporations, showcasing advanced technology.

Landmarks such as Jubilife TV, Pokétch Co., and the Trainer School stood out as key features of the city.

When Johan walked out of the airport, he was immediately greeted by a crowd of people.

But don't get the wrong idea—they weren't there for him.

The commotion was caused by someone waiting to meet him: Cynthia.

Clad in her signature black trench coat, her golden hair cascading like silk, she was impossible to miss amidst the throng of onlookers.

When Cynthia spotted Johan emerging from the airport, her bright eyes lit up slightly.

"You're here," she said in her usual calm and soft tone.

"Yeah," Johan replied.

Noticing the attention from those around them, the two kept their conversation brief and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"Who was that? Cynthia herself came to pick them up?"

"That looked like Johan!"

"Johan? You mean the champion of the Indigo Plateau Conference? The guy who cleared the Battle Frontier in three and a half days?"

"No way! Isn't he the one with that terrifying team of Gengars?"

"..."

Once they left the airport, the attention on them quickly dissipated.

Johan, familiar with Sinnoh from past visits, wasted no time and asked, "Where to next?"

"Oreburgh City," Cynthia answered directly.

Oreburgh City was known for its abundance of natural resources and its status as an industrial hub centered around coal mining and minerals.

The city had close ties with Devon Corporation, which sourced rare minerals and ores from Oreburgh. It was also home to facilities for reviving fossils into ancient Pokémon, as many rare fossils were unearthed in the mines.

So, it's about ancient Pokémon after all, Johan thought to himself.

That should make this a relatively straightforward task.

They arrived at a parking lot.

"Get in," Cynthia said, gesturing toward a sleek black SUV that exuded an air of power.

"We're driving?" Johan was surprised.

Oreburgh City was located just east of Jubilife, but driving didn't seem like Cynthia's style.

Wasn't she the type to ride her Garchomp and shoot straight into the sky?

Cynthia blinked, her silver eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "Aren't you afraid of heights?"

Johan straightened his face. "Who said I was afraid of heights? I just… uh… prefer to take things slow. You know, men don't like things to go too fast."

Cynthia tilted her head, her expression filled with curiosity. "What are you even talking about?"

"Never mind," Johan muttered, realizing how his words might be misinterpreted.

"Well, if you're not afraid of heights…"

Cynthia promptly summoned her Garchomp.

"Garrr!!"

The ferocious dragon emerged, its sharp fins gleaming as its predatory eyes locked onto Johan with a cold, unkind gaze.

Whether intentionally or not, the creature tilted its head just enough for the razor edge of its fin to catch the light, the reflection landing squarely on Johan's face.

Sweat formed on his brow as he forced a smile. "Long time no see, Garchomp."

"Garrr—" Garchomp exhaled twin streams of white mist from its nostrils, snorting derisively.

Hmph! You're the punk who kept making Pokémon dance during battles, huh?

If Cynthia weren't here, I'd take you on myself! No teammates—just one-on-one!

As the "friendly" exchange unfolded, Cynthia smiled faintly.

She reached for another Pokéball to summon a second flying Pokémon, but Johan stopped her.

"No need for that. If we're flying…"

Click!

The ball at Johan's waist popped open.

"Draaa~~!"

Towering and sturdy, the recently evolved Dragonite appeared by Johan's side, its orange scales gleaming and its goofy grin making it seem approachable.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "Your Dragonair evolved?"

Even Garchomp's expression shifted slightly, growing more serious.

It could sense the latent power emanating from Dragonite.

This guy really has been improving fast, Garchomp thought. Maybe soon enough, we can have a proper battle.

Johan patted Dragonite's soft, squishy belly and said with a grin, "Yeah, it evolved not too long ago."

"You've trained it exceptionally well," Cynthia commented with a nod.

She mounted Garchomp with practiced ease. "Keep up if you can."

"Garrr!"

Garchomp shot Johan a challenging smirk before blasting into the sky, leaving behind a pair of white contrails.

"Draaa! Draaa!"

Dragonite flapped its wings eagerly, gesturing for Johan to hop on quickly.

Johan sighed. Why had he asked about flying in the first place? Driving would've been fine!

Reluctantly, he climbed onto Dragonite's back, muttering, "Dragonite… let's not rush this. Take it slo—"

Whoosh!

Dragonite's powerful wings launched them skyward with exhilarating speed.

After they left, a small shadow emerged from a corner, panting heavily.

It was Marshadow.

Clutching its chest, it glanced up at the sky, where two trails of vapor marked the path of the Pokémon.

They're flying again?! Do you know how hard it is to keep up with you just for a bite to eat—no, I mean, to monitor the holder of the Rainbow Wing?

As they soared through the air, Johan clung tightly to Dragonite's neck.

Compared to Dragonair, Dragonite's back was more stable, offering firm footing and something to hold onto. However, its increased speed more than made up for that stability.

"Looks like it's about to rain," Cynthia called out over the rushing wind. "We should hurry."

Johan grumbled, "Sure," in a muffled voice, his eyes squeezed shut.

"You're really not afraid of heights?" Cynthia teased.

"Of course not!"

"Then why won't you open your eyes?" she asked, her silver eyes glinting mischievously.

"…It's windy, that's all."

Boom!

Thunder rumbled ominously above as dark clouds gathered in the sky.

Johan's heart skipped a beat.

Given Dragonite's notorious luck…

Crash!

A bolt of golden lightning suddenly pierced the sky, illuminating everything in its dazzling glow.

"Garrr?"

Garchomp abruptly halted, looking toward the stormy clouds above.

This lightning's timing seemed… off.

"Johan?" Cynthia called out, watching in confusion as Dragonite momentarily dipped from view.

Thankfully, it quickly rose back up, flapping its wings vigorously.

"Draaa…"

Dragonite let out a breath of relief, wiping imaginary sweat from its brow.

Johan, meanwhile, clutched at his chest, drenched in cold sweat.

The Zapdos feather in his possession glowed faintly, having absorbed the stray bolt of electricity.

"Electricity levels… five thousand percent, Rotom!"

"L-L-Lototo??" Rotom stammered, its eyes glowing faintly from the sudden surge of power.

They eventually arrived at Oreburgh City, nestled beside a massive mountain rich in coal and minerals.

The city's industrial facilities were bustling, with workers and Pokémon—such as Machoke, Timburr, and Conkeldurr—assisting with the heavy labor.

Cynthia led Johan into the Oreburgh Mines and straight to a large central building filled with mining equipment and workstations.

Inside, a massive table held various stones and fossils, along with a number of ancient, cracked stone tablets inscribed with strange markings.

"Cynthia, you're here," greeted Roark, the Oreburgh Gym Leader and overseer of the mines.

Cynthia introduced Johan to Roark, who smiled warmly. "Johan, I've heard plenty about you. It's great to finally meet in person."

The three of them gathered around the table.

Johan examined the stone tablets casually at first, but something quickly caught his eye: a pattern of six circular dots arranged in a hexagon.

"This…"

"You've noticed," Cynthia said.

"Registeel?" Johan murmured, recognizing the iconic pattern of the Legendary Titans.

Cynthia nodded. "There are more over here…"

She pointed to other stone fragments, which bore the markings of Regirock and Regice.

Wait a minute. Johan's heart sank.

She called me here to deal with these ancient Pokémon? It's not Shieldon or Cranidos—it's the Legendary Titans?!

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the mine.

"What's that?" Johan asked.

"A revived Aerodactyl," Roark explained. "It woke up when we unearthed these fossils and has been restless ever since."

Oh, thank Arceus. Johan breathed a sigh of relief.

A raging Aerodactyl is manageable.

Let's just hope this stays a minor quest—reviving Aerodactyl's fury—and doesn't escalate into the massive quest of awakening Regigigas.

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Powerstones?

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