It’s Just an Emotionless Cameraman
You guys beat Naruto. Congrats. 10 extra chapters coming when powerstones reset. I'm tired as I am writing this, if this doesn't get to the top of the powerstone rankings. I don't know what I'll do. Anyways, save the powerstones until then. Thank you.
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"Luxray is unable to battle. The winner is—the challenger, Johan!"
The referee wiped the corner of his eye as he announced the final result.
It had been so long since he last declared the outcome of a Gym battle. The wait had nearly made him gain weight from stress.
"Ka-kaah~~"
Gengar waved at the now-conscious Luxray.
"Garrr—"
Luxray eyed it warily, its fur standing on end.
How was it that Electivire and Raichu had such exhilarating battles, while its opponent was Gengar?
It liked battling too, but it never wanted to fight Gengar again.
Too dirty!
Gengar immediately shook its head—Unacceptable!
Your Focus Sash can't compare to my Toxic Orb—besides, you can't even eat it!
That's when Luxray realized… it still had the Toxic Orb.
No wonder it felt weak right after eating a Sitrus Berry.
"Johan, I know you probably don't need it, but please accept this badge and this TM as a reward."
Volkner felt a bit drained now.
The first two battles had been great, but the third one? He wasn't used to that kind of fight.
Still, he couldn't deny that this battle had rekindled some of his old passion.
More importantly, it reminded him—there were so many powerful trainers out there waiting for him to challenge.
Strength shouldn't be confined to one's comfort zone.
There were strong trainers all around.
Flint, Buck…
Volkner's gaze landed on Johan and his Gengar, and his heart trembled slightly.
And Cynthia.
Yes—Cynthia.
Johan had successfully redirected Volkner's desire for a rematch onto Flint and the others—by traumatizing him with Gengar.
The TM he handed over was Charge Beam.
[Charge Beam: An Electric-type move with 50 base power. Due to its charge effect, it has a high chance of boosting the user's Special Attack.]
An offensive move that also had a buffing effect.
Though… that 70% chance was pretty unreliable.
For Johan, rounding that down was basically zero.
"If you pair Charge Beam with a Thunder Stone or a Magnet, its learning speed, effectiveness, and even its buffing success rate can improve," Volkner explained, even handing over a Charge Beam Learning Manual.
For Johan, the only Pokémon that could learn it was Rotom.
But Rotom… wasn't exactly into battling.
So—into storage it went.
Volkner continued,
"I already used my Thunder Stone, so take this instead."
He pulled out a special item—an Electirizer!
The evolutionary item that turned Electabuzz into Electivire.
"Wow, generous."
Johan chuckled and accepted it without hesitation.
Nice—Volkner knew how to be a good host.
As a Gym Leader, backed by Sunyshore's resources, plus the entire city's support, Volkner had way more wealth than broke Flint.
"Rotom, here's that generator I promised you."
Johan handed the still-warm Electirizer straight to Rotom.
Now, home electricity bills were a thing of the past.
And Rotom could probably run 24/7 now…
Tsk. So much money saved.
"Lo-Lo-Lo~(Д`)"
Rotom accepted it with tears in its eyes, unsure whether to be happy or sad.
"And this too."
Johan gave it the Charge Beam TM and the learning manual.
It could learn if it wanted to. If not, no pressure.
"Rotom?"
Volkner finally noticed it.
As an Electric-type specialist, he was very familiar with Rotom.
Recently, Rotom had been appearing everywhere—powering appliances, furniture, and even entire devices.
He had always wanted to catch one to assist in his research.
But… he had been too lazy to bother.
"Wait—don't tell me the Gym's power…"
Volkner's eye twitched.
Johan didn't even bother hiding it.
"Yep. Rotom ate it."
"E-EAT it?"
Volkner's eyes widened.
He knew how much power his Gym stored.
It ran on a complex electrical system, fueling countless mechanisms.
The sheer amount of energy inside was enough to power all of Sunyshore City for a short time.
And Rotom had eaten it.
"Uh… sorry, Roto!" Rotom stammered.
"N-No, it's not your fault…" Volkner muttered.
"Calm down."
Flint stuffed his hands into his pockets and smirked. Now that Volkner had snapped out of his slump, he was back to his usual slacker self.
He added, "Johan's Rotom was recognized by Raikou."
Raikou?!
Volkner stiffened.
Anyone into Electric-types knew about Raikou.
In Pokémon Adventures, Lt. Surge even used Raikou to power a magnetic train.
"Roto? (σ□｀)σ"
Rotom stared at Johan.
You sure we should be saying this?
Also, where did it get Raikou's recognition?
Didn't Tinkaton steal something off Raikou?
Flint, don't hype me up like this—I'm scared…
I'm just an emotionless cameraman.
Buck patted Volkner's shoulder.
"Don't get too excited. That Charcadet you fought? It has Entei's blessing."
Entei?!
Volkner instinctively turned to Flint.
"Don't look at me!" Flint blurted.
The way Volkner stared at him made him feel like a fraud.
How could a Fire-type specialist not have Entei's recognition?!
Unfazed, Buck continued,
"And that Gengar? It put Regigigas to sleep."
Volkner: "…"
Flint blinked.
"Oh, and Tinkaton smashed Regigigas."
Volkner took a deep breath.
He had only locked himself in his Gym for a while…
Why does it feel like the whole world changed?!
Hah! Cynthia—I'll challenge you again someday!
Seeing Volkner's overwhelmed expression, Buck and Flint exchanged glances.
Another one bites the dust.
"You guys are exaggerating," Johan muttered.
At this rate, people would think he killed Regigigas.
He scoffed, "Why not just say I kidnapped Dialga and Palkia?"
Volkner's eyes widened.
Buck calmly replied, "That part's fake."
Volkner sighed in relief.
But Flint, recalling Johan's power of manifesting nonsense into reality, mumbled,
"…It might become real."
Johan shot him a glare before walking off to treat his Pokémon's minor injuries.
Tinkaton and Charcadet had taken a few hits, but Gengar? Not a scratch.
Meanwhile, Gengar was discussing potential photo spots with Rotom.
Sunyshore's lighthouse looked nice.
And—
There was a giant Pokémon-shaped rock in Sunyshore, shaped like a Snorlax.
It'd make for a cool shot.
"Roto~()"
Rotom's eyes sparkled.
"Ka-kaah~~" Gengar grinned.
"By the way, Rotom, when are you gonna try battling?"
"M-Me, Roto?"
Rotom looked horrified.
"C-Can I, Roto?"
"Ka-kaah~"
Gengar waved it off with a smile, saying it was just a joke.
But…
It might actually be strong.
Rotom didn't like battling, so Johan never forced it.
But every time the others trained, Rotom watched and followed along for better camerawork.
Which meant…
It had unknowingly trained with them.
Johan never underfed it either.
It ate high-quality Pokéblocks, absorbed Raikou's energy, learned new moves, and now had Charge Beam and an Electirizer.
Gengar was convinced—
Rotom wasn't weak.
After treating Tinkaton and Charcadet, Johan approached Volkner.
"I'd like to use your battlefield for training."
Since it was part of their bet, Volkner agreed immediately.
"No problem."
He even offered, "I've installed special mechanisms for training. You're free to use them, but…"
He frowned.
The Gym's electrical systems were shot.
They needed repairs.
See?
This is why high-tech stuff is great.
Automated training facilities? That'd boost progress instantly.
"Thanks, Volkner," Johan said sincerely.
Volkner shook his head.
"I should be the one thanking you, Johan. You reminded me to listen to my Pokémon again."
Johan patted his shoulder.
"We're partners. Growth is all about mutual understanding."
Then, he turned.
"Rotom, power mode!"
"Roger, Roto!"
Rotom zipped into the Gym's circuits.
BZZT!
The Gym's systems roared back to life.
Volkner blinked.
That power demand was insane.
"Johan… is Rotom your main Electric-type?"
Johan yawned and stretched.
"Nah. It's just an emotionless cameraman."
Volkner: "…"
Johan clapped his hands.
"Alright—training starts now!"
And at that moment—
Volkner finally realized…
The bet had always been fair.
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