Pokemon: Psychic Master

"That was an impressive display of strategy."

Norman recalled Vigoroth and Ursaring with a hearty laugh.

As he reviewed the match in his mind, he realized that from the very beginning, Johan had completely seen through his tactics.

In his mind, Gengar was the core battler, with Indeedee playing more of a supportive role.

He hadn't expected that the true support was Gengar, while Indeedee, empowered by Nasty Plot and Psychic Terrain, would unleash such devastating force with Expanding Force.

"I didn't expect Johan-sensei to be this skilled in doubles as well," Norman sighed.

Johan silently muttered to himself, "Doubles is the real playground for dirty tactics. So many tricks just don't work in singles."

Nearby, Ruby and May, who had witnessed the entire match, looked at Johan with even more admiration.

It was rare—almost unheard of—for their father Norman to praise someone so genuinely.

It was as if… unless Norman pulled out his strongest Pokémon, he had no chance of defeating Johan.

No wonder he's known as the master of tactics… or rather, the master of scheming!

The match had ended quickly, but it didn't feel overly violent.

Aside from some questionable tactics that left people speechless, there was an elegance to the battle—like a game of chess, where each move was carefully calculated.

From a tactical standpoint, Johan had utterly crushed Norman!

"So… this is what a real Pokémon battle looks like," Ruby's eyes sparkled with newfound excitement.

It was nothing like the battles he had imagined.

Watching a televised match couldn't compare to witnessing one in person.

"Elegant, composed, and victorious with grace… It feels like a work of art," May murmured.

Unlike Ruby, she hadn't thought much about tactics.

She simply found Indeedee adorable—cute and strong, without the aggression of Pokémon like Salamence or Slaking.

Both kids were starting to shift their perceptions of Pokémon battles.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar chuckled mischievously, giving Indeedee a playful high-five.

For some reason, Gengar felt that it had great synergy with Indeedee.

The two of them together? They could drive any opponent crazy.

And it seemed like Johan had gone easy today—holding back on the more twisted tricks.

Indeedee's cheeks flushed slightly, unable to contain her excitement.

It was her first time battling under Johan's command, and she loved it!

"Well then… this badge is yours," Norman said, pulling out the Balance Badge and handing it to Johan.

"Huh?"

Johan blinked in surprise.

You didn't mention there was a badge involved!

"Ka-kaah~~"

Before Johan could respond, Gengar smoothly took the badge and handed it to Indeedee, encouraging her to take a closer look.

After all, it was Indeedee's first badge—a moment worth cherishing.

"Indeedee~~ o(〃'▽'〃)o"

Norman chuckled, taking out another item.

"And this—an Hidden Power TM."

Hidden Power?

Johan's eyes lit up.

The legendary coverage move!

Hidden Power was a complex move in terms of mechanics.

While it was technically a Normal-type move, it could transform into any type except Normal itself, making it an essential tool for broadening a Pokémon's coverage.

For example, if Indeedee faced a Ferrothorn—a Grass/Steel-type with a notoriously tricky combination—her Psychic moves would be almost useless.

But if her Hidden Power turned out to be Fire-type, she could hit Ferrothorn with a devastating four-times effective move!

Johan's current team already covered a wide range of types—Ghost, Poison, Ice, Fairy, Steel, Dragon, Fighting, and Fire.

But in battle, you couldn't always switch Pokémon freely.

So having a versatile move like Hidden Power was invaluable.

The problem was…

In the games, Johan knew how to manipulate Hidden Power types.

But in the real Pokémon world? He had no idea how to control what type Hidden Power would become.

Thankfully, Norman had anticipated this.

Along with the TM, he handed Johan a guidebook containing his notes on how to influence Hidden Power's typing.

"Thanks," Johan said, accepting the items.

After dealing with the troubled Salamence and battling Norman, the latter politely declined Johan's invitation to stay for dinner.

Instead, he took Ruby and May back to Petalburg City.

Apparently, Norman had another kid to take care of at home.

Johan couldn't help but marvel.

No wonder Norman had no interest in becoming an Elite Four member or Champion.

Raising kids seemed more fulfilling to him than battling.

Besides, raising children was probably more expensive and challenging than raising Pokémon.

Johan figured Norman and Flint would have a lot to talk about.

After seeing the trio off, Johan and his group returned to the café.

The Pokémon were left to play in the backyard while Johan flipped through the guidebook on Hidden Power.

What he read left him stunned.

Good grief!

It turned out that to control Hidden Power's typing, you needed a ton of materials.

For example, to get a Fire-type Hidden Power, you'd need fire-infused items like Charcoal.

"No wonder Norman left in such a hurry," Johan muttered.

Material costs weren't the issue.

The real problem was…

Almost every Pokémon could learn Hidden Power!

Six Pokémon on his team, six Hidden Powers, and the corresponding materials for each type…

Johan looked to the sky, exasperated.

He felt like calling Norman back to pay a consultation fee!

"Are you really planning to dominate the Ever Grande Conference?" Flannery asked, curious.

She was debating whether to ask her grandfather to just hand over a badge to save everyone the trouble.

It wasn't about winning or losing.

It was the mental preparation required to battle Johan that concerned her.

You'd need heart medicine before the match and possibly a few days off to recover afterward.

She didn't want her grandfather to risk his health.

Johan, still annoyed, glared at her.

"I've made up my mind!"

"Made up your mind about what?" Flannery's eyes sparkled.

"You're entering the Ever Grande Conference?"

"No." Johan shook his head.

"I've decided to assign homework over winter break!"

Flannery's eyes widened, her face turning pale.

"N-No… Please, no!"

"Anyone who doesn't finish it will have their participation grades deducted next term!" Johan said fiercely.

Roxanne and Steven remained calm, but Flannery looked like she might cry.

"I-I'll tell my grandpa to send the badge tomorrow!"

Johan: "???"

"Why would I need a badge? I'd rather conquer the Battle Frontier than waste time on the Ever Grande Conference!"

"The Battle Frontier?"

All three of them—Roxanne, Steven, and Flannery—exclaimed in unison.

There were two Battle Frontiers in the world:

One in Hoenn and another between Sinnoh and Johto.

Many trainers dreamed of challenging the Battle Frontier.

Compared to League tournaments, it was seen as a more niche pursuit.

The head of the Battle Frontier, Scott, was always trying to promote it.

Even Ash would eventually accept Scott's invitation.

"I'm just saying…" Johan trailed off, sensing their excitement.

But the trio had already started planning.

"Battle Points can be exchanged for items," Roxanne said, scrolling through her tablet.

"Hmm?"

Johan perked up.

Battle Points…

Exchangeable for items?

"And there's prize money," Flannery added.

"My grandpa said Scott offers a cash prize for those who conquer the Battle Frontier."

Steven suddenly remembered something.

"Speaking of the Battle Frontier, I saw a recent report from the Mossdeep Space Center."

He pulled out his phone and opened a document.

"According to their calculations… a once-in-a-millennium comet will pass by soon, and it's expected to land near the Battle Frontier!"

A millennium comet?

Battle Frontier?

This sounded oddly familiar…

Could it be connected to Jirachi?

In Johan's memories, Ash had encountered a "once-in-a-millennium comet" multiple times.

Either the term "millennium" was exaggerated, or Ash was secretly immortal.

"So… Should we visit the Battle Frontier?" Steven suggested.

He was clearly excited about the comet.

Roxanne and Flannery had no objections.

All three turned to Johan.

Why are you dragging me into this?

But… It had been a while since he took his Pokémon camping.

Johan cleared his throat.

"Actually, I'm… a bit interested in the Battle Frontier's prizes—cough, I mean, the millennium comet."

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Powerstones?

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