Pokemon: Psychic Master

Early the next morning.

A thin layer of frost covered the window.

With the arrival of winter, the temperature outside kept dropping. But inside the house, it was warm and cozy.

Thanks to Ninetales' growing mastery over her ice-type powers, the cold aura she unconsciously emitted had become much more controlled since her evolution.

Sometimes, when Johan petted her belly, he could even feel a faint warmth.

"Maybe, given time, she'll turn into a portable heater," Johan chuckled to himself as he stretched out lazily.

After glancing at his hands to confirm they were human, he sighed in relief.

Last night, he dreamed that he'd turned into a Growlithe, and Gengar had put a collar on him before they both ran around a grassy field together…

"Why do I keep having these weird dreams? What's going on?"

When Johan woke up, he realized that his Pokémon were already awake. Even Ninetales—who usually enjoyed curling up in bed—had gotten up early.

In the living room.

Charcadet stood by the glass door, drawing a smiley face on the frosty window.

"Goka!"

Satisfied with his work, he nodded in approval, admiring his "masterpiece."

It's going to be a great day!

"Ku~~"

Behind him, Kubfu finished a set of push-ups. His body glistened with sweat, radiating heat.

With a cheerful grin, Kubfu walked over to Charcadet's drawing and added two cute triangular ears to the smiley face.

"Ku-ku~!"

Perfect!

Charcadet clapped his hands together in realization.

Although he was the newest member of Johan's team, Charcadet greatly respected the older Pokémon.

Whether it was Gengar, the big boss of the team, Ninetales, who exuded elegance, or Kubfu, who had earned the title of "Coach" for his guidance during training sessions.

Charcadet, too, had received pointers from Kubfu during training—especially regarding honing his aura abilities.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonair appeared behind them. He stared at the modified smiley face for a moment, then nodded in approval.

With a flick of his tail, Dragonair added a pair of wings to the drawing.

Perfect!

"Cha-cha-cha~"

Tinkaton, lugging her hammer, approached with her signature "plop-plop" steps.

How could there be a face without a body?

With her pudgy hands, Tinkaton added a stick-figure body—and, of course, a giant hammer!

"Oowoo~"

From her perch on the cat tree, Ninetales gracefully leapt down to join the group.

She exhaled gently, adding nine elegant tails to the drawing.

"Ka-kaah?"

Gengar returned from his morning stroll, holding a notepad in one hand and a sketchpad in the other.

Seeing the heavily modified drawing, Gengar shook his head with a sly grin.

Under the curious eyes of the others, he added the finishing touches—a halo and a few sparkling lines to make the figure "shine."

Then, with his hands on his hips, Gengar burst out laughing.

"Ka-kaah! Ka-kaah-kaah!"

"What are you all laughing at so early in the morning?"

Johan emerged from his room in a loose-fitting Vulpix onesie, yawning lazily.

When he approached the glass door, he saw the drawing—Charcadet's smiley face, with ears, wings, a hammer, nine tails, and… a halo?

"What's with the halo?"

The other Pokémon all turned to look at Gengar.

Gengar stood proudly, hands on his hips, wearing a smug expression.

"Ka-kaah? ╭(●｀●)╯"

Johan sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I just know you're up to something."

With a click, Rotom's Pokédex form took a snapshot of the drawing.

Johan shook his head.

"Gengar, take everyone to brush their teeth. I'll make breakfast."

At the mention of food, Gengar instantly perked up.

He clapped his hands and led the Pokémon in a neat line to the bathroom, humming a rhythm as they marched.

"If you're not eager to eat, you've got a problem!"

Watching his Pokémon march off, Johan couldn't help but smile.

Although Charcadet had a reputation for being rebellious, he was blending into the team surprisingly well.

Johan recalled what Martin had said when he left the daycare:

"That Charcadet has great potential. But integrating him into your team might be tricky—he tends to respect only those who are as tough as he is."

Well, it seemed Martin's concerns were unnecessary.

Charcadet was fitting in just fine.

"Rotom, could you help clean up?" Johan asked.

"Of course, Rotom!"

Blushing slightly, Rotom popped out of the Pokédex and entered the vacuum cleaner.

Soon, the soft hum of cleaning filled the house.

After breakfast, Johan gathered his Pokémon and headed out.

Their destination? The Battle Frontier.

The Hoenn region's Battle Frontier was located on an island near Route 130.

Typically, travelers could reach it by taking a ferry from either Slateport or Lilycove City.

However, Rotom informed them that tickets for both routes had already sold out.

It seemed the influx of passengers wasn't due to trainers heading for the Battle Frontier, but rather astronomy enthusiasts hoping to witness the Millennium Comet.

Fortunately, Steven had arranged a private plane for them.

Johan, Steven, Roxanne, and Flannery met up in the countryside and boarded the aircraft.

Once in the air, Gengar grew restless.

"Ka-kaah~~"

With his hands behind his back, he gave Johan an innocent grin.

Just a little stroll…

"No," Johan said firmly.

Gengar drooped his ears, pouting and poking his fingers together.

Seeing this, Flannery couldn't help but speak up.

"Sensei, just let him have a little fun. We're in the sky—he won't go far."

"That's exactly why he can't."

Johan sighed, rubbing his temples.

"If you don't want to experience a sudden crash landing—or worse, end up on an unknown island—keep an eye on Gengar."

"That bad?" Flannery swallowed nervously.

Johan's smile turned grim.

"Believe me."

After several hours, the island housing the Battle Frontier came into view.

The Battle Tower stood tall and majestic, the most iconic structure on the island.

But other facilities, like the Battle Factory, Battle Arena, and Battle Dome, each had their unique charm.

What caught Johan's attention, however, was the Battle Pyramid.

The Battle Pyramid's leader, Brandon, was the most powerful of the Frontier Brains.

Known as the "Pyramid King," Brandon was one of the few trainers to have captured legendary Pokémon—specifically, the Regi Trio: Regice, Regirock, and Registeel.

Brandon's strength was comparable to that of the Elite Four.

But the Battle Frontier itself took up only a small portion of the island.

Their true destination was a vast expanse of towering rock formations.

"We've arrived," Steven announced as the plane touched down on a flat patch of land.

The group disembarked to find themselves standing before a magnificent landscape of towering stone pillars.

Some of the pillars reached high into the clouds, while others were short enough to jump onto.

Among the misty peaks, wild Pokémon like Pidgeot and Swellow flitted gracefully between the rocks.

"Oowoo~~"

Ninetales gazed in awe at the breathtaking scenery.

Johan couldn't help but marvel at nature's wonders.

"Ka-kaah~!"

Wearing sunglasses, Gengar eagerly scanned the area.

He couldn't wait to make some new "friends" among the wild Pokémon—and maybe establish a "protection racket."

Meanwhile, Steven was already gearing up for excavation.

When Johan turned around, he saw Steven dressed in full mining gear, ready to dig.

"Steven, calm down."

Johan chuckled.

"Let's find a campsite first. Preferably somewhere with a good view of the comet."

"Oh, right."

Steven blinked, snapping out of his excitement.

"Metagross, Skarmory, help us search for a suitable spot!"

Johan released his Pokémon as well.

"Dragonair, you too!"

"Draaa~~"

Dragonair nodded and took to the skies.

Soon enough, they found a perfect location—a scenic spot by a crystal-clear lake, with a panoramic view of the sky.

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Powerstones?

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