Riding Lance’s Coattails to Fame?

[Vulpix]

[Type: Ice]

[Ability: Snow Warning]

[Moves Known: Tail Whip, Powder Snow, Disable, Ice Shard, Grudge, Icy Wind, Confuse Ray, Hex, Aurora Beam, Psychic, Hypnosis, Baby-Doll Eyes]

[Mood: Happy, Hesitant (I'm a harbinger of misfortune...)]

[Condition: Weak (It needs supplements! Supplements!)]

[Affection Level: 70 (It acknowledges you, but that's not enough)]

When the Alolan Vulpix used Psychic, Johan was finally able to see its Pokédex entry.

Simply judging by the list of moves, it was clear that this Vulpix had learned almost as many moves as Gastly. However, the moves' colors on the screen appeared quite dull, indicating a lack of proficiency.

In fact, like the Psychic from earlier, the Alolan Vulpix likely wasn't even aware it could use the move.

This might have been because it used to live with its group, learning moves but rarely needing to battle on its own.

In reality, Alolan Vulpix are communal Pokémon, with their groups often protected by an older Ninetales.

After all, in the snowy mountains of Alola, Alolan Vulpix is a primary target for Weavile.

And judging by Vulpix's reaction earlier…

Could this little one, despite its cute appearance, actually be a hidden bundle of fury?

Johan couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for his small household.

Still, he smiled and pulled out a Luxury Ball as he spoke.

"Vulpix…"

Before he could finish, the Vulpix curiously tapped the button on the Luxury Ball with its paw.

A flash of red light.

"Click—"

There wasn't even a hint of struggle; the Luxury Ball settled with an almost anticlimactic stillness.

"Ah, well," Johan sighed dramatically. "I wanted at least a little excitement…"

"Ka-kah~~"

Gastly floated back, its demeanor a little shaken.

Did we get tricked by its cute and weak appearance?

Johan shot Gastly a sidelong glance.

Who was the one going "So cute!" and "Hehehe" just a moment ago?

Gastly chuckled sheepishly.

Well, it is cute…

"She probably doesn't even realize her own strength," Johan mused as he held the Luxury Ball in his hand. "From now on, let's live together."

The Luxury Ball shook slightly in response.

Gastly grinned broadly, delighted to finally have a partner to spar with!

Come to think of it, the Alolan Vulpix shared quite a few moves with Gastly, like Confuse Ray and Hex...

"Thinking about it…" Johan murmured as he thoughtfully rubbed the ball in his hand.

A centuries-old ghost and a fox spirit...

Sounds like a setup for a mystical duo.

That night…

Gastly enthusiastically showed the young Vulpix around the apartment.

"Ka-kah~~"

"This is the kitchen. Johan doesn't let me in here, but between you and me…"

Gastly lowered its voice conspiratorially.

"…you can sneak in sometimes."

Gastly puffed up with pride.

"Oowu?"

The Alolan Vulpix blinked its eyes.

Why would you want to go in?

"Ka-kah—"

"To secretly inhale gas, of course! I've got a technique: as long as you don't take too much at once, Johan won't notice!"

"Oowu?! (・・)"

Gastly then led the young Vulpix to another room.

"Ka-kah~~"

"This is the bathroom, where you can take baths."

Gastly flashed a mischievous grin.

"…together, hehehe…"

"Oowu!!"

Startled, the Vulpix's latent psychic power surged.

"Ka—kah——"

Elsewhere, Johan received an unexpected phone call.

"Lance?"

"Is there still something wrong with Aerodactyl?"

From the other end of the line came Lance's somewhat awkward voice.

"Ahem, no, Aerodactyl's fine. Especially after listening to your 'hypnotic audio reinforcement'... Johan, well, there's a new issue. It's not really an issue, just..."

Johan frowned.

"Lance, since when did you get so hesitant? This doesn't seem like you."

"Well... alright, alright, the problem is me. The video of our battle got uploaded online," Lance admitted.

Huh?!

Johan stood up from his chair.

"...The 'body cam' wasn't turned off. The video was automatically streamed to the control room. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue, since nobody watches those unless we're on a mission. But, as luck would have it, Agatha happened to see it..."

"And she said, 'This is what a battle should look like—this is tactical synergy at its finest.' So…"

Johan silently picked up his phone and logged into the official League site.

Sure enough, the video was on the homepage, recorded from Lance's perspective. The title read:

"Dirty? Skillful? Don't Use Such Words When Talking About Tactics"

It had already accumulated over 100,000 views and was rising by the second.

There were plenty of comments below.

[BurningLeaf]: "Tried it myself—yep, it's dirty—err, I mean strong! Maybe I just wasn't skilled enough, or my opponent was too strong, but I lost. Still, it gave me new insights into battle strategies."

[MaskedMan]: "Is this an evolution of the 'Toxic Stall' strategy?"

[FactoryHead]: "Rental battle? Such coordination with borrowed Pokémon is rare."

And many, many more.

Johan rubbed his forehead.

He could already feel the ripples this video would create.

His research paper's popularity seemed to be picking up traction again.

More importantly, his online consultation room had received a sudden surge of new "patients."

He had been so preoccupied with helping the Alolan Vulpix all day that he hadn't paid attention to his phone.

"I'm really sorry, Johan," Lance said. "I only found out today. But Agatha said all revenue from the video would go to you, and she's willing to send you a rare item or a move-learning machine as compensation."

Lance continued, "Of course, if you think this has negatively impacted you, I can contact them to take the video down right away."

"Ahem." Johan cleared his throat as he glanced at the new balance in his bank account.

"You know, Lance, this video is more impactful on you," Johan pointed out.

After all, this practically meant he was gaining fame at the expense of the renowned Dragon Tamer.

"Wins and losses are part of life. This battle taught me a lot. Everything else is secondary," Lance replied, laughing.

Johan was slightly taken aback by his easygoing attitude.

"Besides, my face isn't even in the video."

Johan blinked, dumbfounded.

Since the camera was mounted on Lance's shoulder, it was true that his face wasn't in the footage.

Of course, anyone determined enough could figure it out, but Lance's words seemed meant to ease Johan's concerns.

"It's a joke. Anyway, what do you want to do? It's your call," Lance said.

After mulling it over for a moment, Johan sighed.

"Leave it," he said.

The battle had been for treating Aerodactyl, and there was no need to keep it under wraps.

Besides, several of the gardeners and staff at the Stone estate had witnessed the match anyway.

And as far as gaining fame went… Johan figured it was inevitable. Why else would he have published that research paper?

Plus, with so many people seeking his consultation, he'd be able to help more people and Pokémon.

It might even bring in a bit of extra income.

And it would give him more material for his research.

He glanced over at Gastly and Vulpix, who were now playing together.

With an extra Pokémon to care for, his expenses were only going to increase.

After hanging up the call, Johan turned his attention to the messages in his consultation inbox.

Most of the simpler queries were answered quickly.

A few more complex ones remained.

For example—

[PsychicGirl]: "Why won't my Kadabra evolve?"

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Powerstones?

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