The “Parental Love” of Magmortar, Blazing Aura Burst

Celestic Town – Cynthia's Training Field

Johan had to admit, Flint wasn't entirely wrong.

After all, nothing accelerated growth like battles.

In the games, battling a rival like Flint usually meant your Pokémon would level up at least three times after one round.

In reality, battling tested tactics and moves in ways that traditional training simply couldn't replicate.

"Johan, be careful. Flint may be brash, but he's no pushover," Lucian cautioned, pushing up his glasses.

Johan nodded. Of course, he knew this.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Flint and Volkner's teamwork was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Giratina, even if only briefly.

But...

"This is just a practice match. There's no need to go all out," Johan said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Flint scratched his head in confusion.

"Is there really such a thing as not taking a battle seriously?"

For him, battling a strong opponent meant going all in, every time.

"I'll referee," Lucian volunteered, adjusting his brown-tinted glasses as they glinted slightly in the light.

He'd long wanted to see Johan's so-called "master tactician" skills in action. Watching his battles on TV wasn't the same as seeing them live. Now was the perfect opportunity to learn.

Meanwhile, Aaron finally caught on to what was happening. He clapped his hands together and exclaimed, "Wait, Flint's battling Johan?!"

This reaction speed... It made Johan wonder if Aaron's eventual Elite Four position would only come from Sinnoh running out of candidates.

Lucian took charge, announcing, "Both sides, call out your Pokémon."

With a hearty laugh, Flint grabbed a Pokéball.

"Johan, I've been waiting for this battle for a long time!"

He had watched Johan's record-breaking run through the Battle Frontier, almost in its entirety.

Although Flint missed Johan's final match against Brandon, he was inspired enough to try the Sinnoh Battle Frontier himself.

With his Infernape leading the charge, Flint nearly matched Johan's pace at the Battle Tower, earning an impressive streak.

But...

When he reached the Battle Factory, reality hit hard.

Flint's aggressive style worked wonders with his own Pokémon but fell apart when using unfamiliar rental teams.

The harsh lessons at the Battle Factory only made Flint want to battle Johan even more.

"This is our first battle, so I'm giving it everything I've got!" Flint declared, his fiery spirit flaring.

"Flint, how many times have you battled Cynthia?" Johan asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

Caught off guard, Flint scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh, about... 108 times?"

108 times...

Johan's eyebrow twitched.

"And how many of those did you win?"

"None!" Flint laughed loudly, though there was an awkward undertone.

His track record could be described as either "relentlessly persistent" or "persistently hopeless."

"Alright then," Johan said with a faint smile. "Let's battle."

"Oh!"

Flint was confused.

Lucian, however, tensed slightly.

What just happened?

With just two casual questions, Johan had extinguished the blazing fire that was Flint's trademark energy.

Lucian adjusted his glasses, studying Johan with admiration.

Is this the power of psychological tactics? He even dampened Flint's fighting spirit!

Flint, oblivious to the mental chess being played, released his first Pokémon: Magmortar.

The rotund, cannon-armed Fire-type emerged with a confident smirk, flexing its arm cannons as if to say, Bring it on.

"Magmortar, the Blast Pokémon. A pure Fire-type, its arm cannons can launch flames reaching up to 2000°C. Rotom reporting!"

Johan tapped his monocle lightly before selecting his own Pokéball.

He'd already considered Flint's potential lineup.

As a Fire-type specialist, Flint's Pokémon posed a significant challenge.

Johan's team, on the other hand, lacked the Water, Rock, or Ground-types needed to counter Fire-types effectively.

Still, this was just a practice match, and he wanted to gauge Flint's strength.

"Let's go, Charcadet!"

"Goka!!"

The little Fire-type appeared, its bird-like fiery crest flaring as it took an eager fighting stance.

Flint's eyes lit up.

"Your Charcadet, huh? I remember it from your Battle Frontier matches. Let's see how it handles the heat!"

Lucian adjusted his glasses again.

"Fire versus Fire. Interesting choice."

From the sidelines, Aaron was in awe.

"Whoa! Flint's Magmortar against Johan's Charcadet—this is gonna be epic!"

Lucian silently sighed, thinking, It's too early to call anything epic, Aaron...

The battle began.

"Magmortar, show them our firepower! Use Flamethrower!"

Magmortar's arm cannon glowed ominously before releasing a searing jet of flames.

"Charcadet, Flamethrower too," Johan ordered calmly.

"Goka!"

Charcadet stomped the ground, gathering fiery energy into its hands before unleashing a roaring stream of flames.

The two Flamethrowers collided, creating a swirling inferno that lit up the training field.

Even Lucian had to release his Mr. Mime to shield himself with a Light Screen.

The intense heat distorted the air, and Lucian murmured, "Is Johan also an emotion-driven battler? This level of firepower is... unexpected."

The flames clashed violently before Charcadet charged straight through the inferno.

Will-o'-the-Wisp Pathway.

Johan's tactical brilliance shone as Charcadet used the flame collision to mask its approach.

"Come on! Fire Punch!" Flint roared.

Magmortar's arm lit up, its fiery fist swinging down to meet the incoming Charcadet.

BAM!

Fist collided with fist, sending both Pokémon skidding back.

Flint grinned.

"Magmortar, Double Flamethrower!"

Magmortar raised both arm cannons, unleashing twin streams of fire.

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "That's unfairly efficient... it's like battling a two-in-one Pokémon."

Charcadet endured the flames, its fiery crest flaring brighter as it closed the distance again.

"Keep pressing, Charcadet! Will-o'-the-Wisp!"

"Goka!!"

Charcadet summoned ghostly green flames that danced toward Magmortar, forcing it to break its rhythm.

"Now, Incinerate!"

Charcadet's flames surged forward in a fiery cascade, catching Magmortar off guard.

Flint clenched his fists.

"Magmortar, use Stomp!"

Magmortar stomped the ground, causing a fiery shockwave to ripple outward.

Johan smirked.

"Charcadet, stand your ground!"

Charcadet weathered the impact, and a golden flame began to swirl around its body.

"What kind of fire is that?!" Aaron exclaimed.

Lucian's expression darkened.

"That's... the Flame of Life," he muttered.

"The what?"

"A sacred fire said to be connected to Ho-Oh and Entei, with restorative properties. Charcadet must have been blessed by Entei or Ho-Oh to wield it."

Johan's grin widened.

"Charcadet, finish this—Infernal Wave!"

Charcadet's entire body erupted in golden flames, the aura condensing into a spiraling wave of heat and light.

The radiant blaze engulfed Magmortar entirely, leaving Flint speechless.

When the flames subsided, Magmortar stood swaying before collapsing in defeat.

Flint's wide-eyed shock quickly gave way to fiery excitement.

"That... was incredible!"

Lucian adjusted his glasses.

"Johan has more than just tactics—he's turning Fire-types into an art form."

Flint laughed loudly.

"This battle isn't over yet! Let's go, Infernape!"

Johan smirked, summoning his next Pokémon.

"Well then... time for Round Two."

----------

Powerstones?

For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates