Johan – I Knew It Was Too Soon to Celebrate!

"I brought you some desserts."

On the grassy field of Undella Town, a picnic blanket was spread out, and at Johan's signal, Gengar pulled out neatly packaged cakes and pastries.

These were all meticulously crafted by Indeedee and Alcremie.

Not far from the picnic setup, Flint lay sprawled on the grass in a completely ungraceful position.

"Mmm~"

Just the sight of these cakes, which looked incredibly appetizing, made Cynthia's eyes sparkle.

And it wasn't just her—her Pokémon were just as eager.

Of course, Johan's Pokémon had their own share as well.

Seeing this, the little ones couldn't wait to dig in, eagerly reaching out their paws.

"Wait a second," Johan said sternly.

"Garrr." Garchomp reluctantly retracted its claws.

But it quickly realized—wait a minute, why am I even listening to him?

"Ninetales." Johan gently stroked the white-furred little creature beside him.

"Oowoo~~"

With a soft breath of icy air, all the desserts and cream instantly became more glistening, releasing a faint milky fragrance.

Indeedee and Alcremie had specifically advised that these desserts would taste even better with a slight chill.

"Alright, go ahead." Johan finally gave the go-ahead.

"We're digging in." Also eager, Cynthia held a spoon in both hands and smiled as she softly announced the start.

Before long...

All the little ones—including Cynthia—closed their eyes in bliss.

Clearly, they had all been utterly captivated by the desserts made by Indeedee and Alcremie.

A gentle evening breeze rustled through, bending the grass and carrying a soft fragrance.

Undella Town was truly an ideal place for retirement. A few Mareep, freely grazing nearby, slowly wandered closer after catching the scent of the desserts.

After finishing their treats, the Pokémon began playing on the grass.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar patted Dragonite's belly and flashed a mischievous grin at Garchomp.

Come on, Dragonite, give us a little dance!

"Draaa? Σ(дlll)"

Dragonite glanced at Garchomp's fearsome expression and nervously swallowed.

"Garrr!!"

No way! You think I don't know how to 'dance'?

With a roar, Garchomp's aura surged, a dark red energy swirling around it with a metallic hum.

Swords Dance!

No problem, Swords Dance is still a 'dance,' right?

Gengar grinned slyly. Suddenly, it extended a claw, and a shadow separated from its body before diving into Garchomp's own shadow.

Under Garchomp's bewildered gaze, the shadow re-emerged, transforming into several small, bat-like creatures that landed in Gengar's hands.

"Ka-kaah~"

Power!

"Garrr?"

Garchomp looked even more confused.

What the heck just happened?

It was certain that it had just used Swords Dance to gain two levels of attack power boost, but as those tiny "bats" flew into Gengar's grasp, its attack boost dropped to just one level.

As if it had been stolen!

"Marsha?"

Hiding under the shade of a tree, licking the last bits of cream from its dessert box, Marshadow rubbed its eyes in disbelief.

No way—did it actually learn that?

Even though the execution was clumsy and different from its own technique, Gengar had really managed to replicate its signature move by blending a bunch of bizarre techniques together.

Marshadow thought, if Gengar kept at it for a while longer… maybe it really could master Shadow Sneak.

"Marsha?!(>_<)"

Oh no, am I just a practice dummy now?!

Cynthia had also noticed the scene.

She looked at Johan in surprise. "Was that… Gengar's move?"

Even Johan was a little shocked.

Sure, he had given Gengar plenty of advice during its training, but he never expected it to actually succeed in pulling this off.

Is this… the power of Uchiha Gengar?

Copy Ninja Kakashi Gengar?

"I… don't think so?" Johan said uncertainly.

"I think I'm starting to understand Flint's words."

"What words?"

"Johan's Pokémon just don't play by the rules." Cynthia chuckled, covering her mouth.

Johan: "…"

"Well, aside from the chubby one, the rest are fine, right?"

"Draaa~~˙(`)˙"

Dragonite, glowing with white energy, shot through the sky like an arrow.

Its body radiated a special aura, making it seem impossibly fast.

"That seems pretty reasonable to me." Cynthia teased.

Johan: "…"

Meanwhile, Ice Ninetales and Ice Eevee lay comfortably in Cynthia's lap, enjoying her gentle massage, while Johan found himself stuck with Spiritomb.

"At least Spiritomb is cute."

"Spaaa~o(////▽////)q"

Elsewhere…

Kubfu had taken Tinkaton's place, sparring with Lucario before sitting down with Charcadet.

Charcadet was mimicking Johan, using its Aura to massage a Pokémon egg.

"Ku?"

"Luca~"

Lucario sat down as well, joining Charcadet and Kubfu in the "massaging team" using Aura.

"Garrr?"

Garchomp also took notice of the egg and curiously approached.

The three little ones immediately scooted over to make space.

"Garrr~~"

As Garchomp observed the faintly trembling egg, it showed a hint of surprise.

"Garchomp says… this little one surprises it," Cynthia translated.

"Surprises…?" Johan felt the urge to wipe his forehead.

"Have you confirmed what kind of Pokémon egg it is?"

Johan shrugged. "Honestly, not yet."

"Maybe you should have Professor Sycamore take a look," Cynthia suggested.

In the field of Pokémon eggs and breeding, Professor Elm was the top expert, but Professor Sycamore had also conducted extensive research in the area.

Additionally, since Professor Sycamore specialized in Pokémon evolution, he had some relevant knowledge about Pokémon eggs as well.

"That's actually a good idea."

Knowing the Pokémon's species in advance would allow him to prepare for its arrival.

For example, getting the right gifts for a newborn Pokémon could help build a stronger bond.

"Judging by Garchomp's reaction, it's likely a pseudo-legendary or a Ground-type Pokémon," Cynthia murmured, resting her chin on her knee.

Pseudo-legendary? Ground-type?

That would mean either Larvitar or Gible.

Both were Pokémon that Ash had either released or left in training.

However…

While Tyranitar's final evolution lost the Ground typing, Larvitar and Pupitar both had it.

But regardless, both Larvitar and Gible were notoriously difficult to raise.

As a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary, Johan knew all too well how much effort raising Gible would take, given his experience with Dragonite.

Back when he first caught Dratini, it was still overfed, so the costs weren't too bad—but once it evolved into Dragonite, its appetite…

And Larvitar? Even worse.

It was said that Larvitar needed to consume an entire mountain just to store enough energy for evolution.

And not just dirt—it had to eat actual minerals!

The thought alone was terrifying.

"So… how long is Flint going to sleep?"

Johan was itching to confirm what Pokémon it was.

He had even asked Matori about it.

But she had only said that she selected the most promising egg from Giovanni's strongest Pokémon, based on the breeder's recommendation. She wasn't sure what it was either.

Originally, Johan had held onto some hope.

But after hearing Cynthia's speculation, he knew he needed to prepare in advance.

"No worries, we can just carry him along," Cynthia said.

January 7th, evening.

Sinnoh Region, Sandgem Town.

This is a small town adjacent to the sea, known for its sandy beaches.

On a hillside near the beach stands Professor Rowan's research lab.

"Johan, it's been a while."

Dressed neatly, with hair combed to a shine, Professor Rowan smiled as he shook hands with Johan.

"Professor Rowan, sorry to bother you," Johan replied politely.

Professor Rowan waved it off, grabbing a piece of pastry from a nearby tray and popping it into his mouth. He then offered the tray to Johan and Cynthia.

Both declined.

"Ka-kaah~~"

From Johan's shadow, Gengar peeked out, its tongue lashing out to snatch all the pastries into its mouth.

Professor Rowan chuckled, unbothered.

He enjoyed sharing food and appreciated those with hearty appetites.

"Johan's Café has excellent desserts; you might consider ordering some," Cynthia suggested, knowing the professor's sweet tooth.

"Oh?"

Professor Rowan looked intrigued.

"I'll have to try them sometime."

His lab had a significant demand for sweets, driven by his own preferences.

Securing this order would be a substantial gain for Johan.

Johan discreetly formed a heart shape with his hands towards Cynthia.

Cynthia blushed slightly.

"You encountered Unown today?"

They got to the main topic.

"Yes, in the Solaceon Ruins."

The two briefly recounted their experience in the ruins.

"Unown are believed to be unable to evolve. Individually, they aren't particularly powerful, but when multiple Unown gather, mysterious phenomena can occur."

Professor Rowan smiled and added:

"However, in this field, your grandmother and you probably have more expertise than I do."

"I've already sent the information to my grandmother," Cynthia nodded.

"We're here today mainly to ask for your help with a Pokémon egg."

"A Pokémon egg?"

"Goka~~"

Charcadet eagerly brought over the egg.

Professor Rowan's interest was piqued. He took out a magnifying glass and examined it closely.

As Johan watched, Professor Rowan carefully studied the patterns on the egg and slowly said:

"One of the parents is a Dragon-type Pokémon..."

Because each Pokémon egg's pattern varies depending on its parents' species and lineage, it requires a specialist to identify them.

A Dragon-type parent...

To Johan, it felt like a tiny, adorable paw was reaching into his wallet.

After a while, Professor Rowan continued:

"I can't be entirely certain, but I'd say there's a 60% chance it's a Larvitar, 30% chance it's a Gible, and 10% chance it's another Dragon or Ground-type Pokémon."

"Could it possibly be... a Trapinch?" Johan asked tentatively.

"It's possible," Professor Rowan nodded, "but unlikely."

Well then.

Johan's faint hope was dashed.

It couldn't be a Zygarde, right?

Seeing Johan's despondent expression, Cynthia whispered:

"The funding will be approved soon."

Johan nodded stiffly.

"I have some funds available; if you need them, I can lend you some..."

Indeed, Cynthia was a lifesaver!

He had celebrated too early after all!

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Powerstones?

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