"Thank you for the hospitality." Johan bowed slightly toward Joseph Stone with a serious expression.
"Hahaha—"
The old gentleman looked delighted. He loved this kind of lively atmosphere - everyone gathering to eat together, chatting about ideals and discussing life. This was truly what the old man enjoyed most.
Unfortunately, he had his son late in life, and only one son at that. More importantly, this son hadn't yet reached marriageable age, preventing him from holding grandchildren, which worried him so much his hair had turned white.
So today, inviting Johan and Steven's good classmates and friends for dinner made him very happy.
After dinner ended, everyone chatted together in the garden for a while before concluding. The time was already quite late.
As a private car took Johan and the others away, Joseph Stone and Steven, this father and son pair, walked side by side back to their residence under the night sky.
"Steven," the old gentleman looked gratified, "having such a teacher to guide you puts my mind at ease."
Steven used to struggle between being a trainer, inheriting the family business, and searching for stones, but since meeting Johan, the confusion and hesitation on Steven's face had disappeared, replaced by full confidence.
"That's Teacher Johan for you." Steven looked proud.
"I remember when you were only this tall, crying every day for me to take you stone hunting."
The old gentleman bent down, gesturing Steven's childhood height with his hand, then looked at his son beside him with some emotion:
"Now you're taller than me..."
Hearing the old gentleman's description, Steven didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Did I really cry?"
"Didn't you?" The old gentleman turned his head. "I think it was when you were in first grade? Whether you fell down or what, your face was all dirty, with snot and tears..."
Steven's face reddened, and he quickly looked back to make sure no one heard before sighing with relief, saying somewhat helplessly:
"That was when I was little. Besides, Dad, you've gotten fatter than back then too..."
Steven silently added: And older too.
"Eh? Fatter?" The old gentleman patted his round belly without feeling it. "I'm still the looks and center-stage star among us old buddies."
As he spoke, he took out a recent photograph.
Definitely the center-stage star, with the other three from left to right being: Drake, Ultima, and Hachi.
"See?"
But Steven couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat... When I get old, I won't be like this, will I?
Looking at the photo, Joseph Stone was still quite satisfied, patting his belly with a smile: "Chatting with Johan and the others made me hungry. Come on, father and son, let's get some late-night snacks."
Steven: "..."
Now he understood why his father's physique had changed so much.
However, when the two arrived at the kitchen and saw five professional chefs sitting back-to-back on the ground, completely exhausted, they couldn't help but twitch their eyes.
One dinner... exhausted five professional chefs?
When they learned that Joseph Stone and young master Steven wanted a bowl of noodles, the head chef indicated:
"...There really are no ingredients left, nothing at all..."
The old gentleman said: "Nothing left again? Didn't I say... to purchase ingredients at five times the previous amount?"
Last time they invited Teacher Johan for dinner, all the kitchen ingredients were completely consumed, making the old gentleman feel embarrassed and worried that Johan and his Pokémon hadn't eaten enough, so this time he specifically ordered a super increase.
Unexpectedly...
The father and son looked at each other.
During dinner just now... they really hadn't paid much attention to this aspect.
The head chef looked ashen: "Gone, completely gone..."
The old gentleman opened his mouth: "Son, how many cooks does Teacher Johan's house usually have?"
"One, I think." Steven scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "I remember it's all cooked by the teacher himself..."
The two unconsciously looked at each other, the same word rising in both their hearts.
Impressive!
The father and son both revealed knowing smiles.
This father and son pair...
July 16th, light rain fell from the sky.
Kanaz Pokémon Academy's final exams were in full swing.
With summer vacation approaching, Johan was spending more time training with his family's Pokémon.
Summer travel was a set plan. After leaving Hoenn, there might not be suitable training facilities everywhere.
The main issue was that his little ones were too destructive - one careless moment might require compensation, so it was better to do more training before departure.
After arranging training tasks for his little ones, Johan sat aside and took out the Wheel of Time that Arceus had given him.
The golden Wheel of Time emitted a faint white glow, clearly valuable at first glance... cough.
"Gave me the thing but didn't explain how to use it or what it does..."
Johan couldn't help complaining internally.
When did riddle-speakers invade the Pokémon world?
However, there was one thing he had discovered when he first received the Wheel of Time.
Focusing his attention slightly, a powerful aura spread outward from Johan in all directions.
Buzz—
In just an instant, most of the vast Kanaz Pokémon Academy almost "appeared" in his field of vision.
After receiving Arceus's "blessing," Johan's aura had greatly improved.
Although he still couldn't hand-rub Aura Spheres like Ash, his aura sensing ability had improved remarkably, both in range and detail.
For example, right now he was clearly sitting in the training room, but his aura could sense the distant teaching building...
Third-year Class 5, the student sitting in the fourth row, fourth seat - yes, you! Take out that cheat sheet!
He could even "see" clearly what was written on the sheet.
"It's good that this ability fell into the hands of someone like me, otherwise... probably not a single bathhouse in Rustboro City would be safe..." Johan felt he was truly a teacher who maintained his principles.
Moreover, and more importantly, besides superficial sensing, Johan's ability to sense emotions had become clearer.
Not only could he feel the inner emotions of Pokémon and humans, but he could also better transmit his own emotions, goodwill, malice, etc., to others, even influence their emotions.
"It's simply a 'relationship artifact,' no, a plus version at that."
Of course, such aura could also play a huge role in battle.
Setting aside enhancement, by observing opponents' expressions and inner emotions meticulously, taking in opponents' Pokémon's movements, emotions, and expressions completely, he could roughly predict what opponents wanted to do.
"Riley once said that every Aura Guardian's aura has its own focus."
Riley's aura characteristic was application - he could project his aura to create barrier-like abilities or hand-rub aura attacks, which was the result of his continuous training as an Aura Guardian.
Ash's aura... Johan guessed it was justice. When justice and sense of mission exploded, Ash's aura would also explode.
And Johan's own aura - as a Pokémon psychologist, what he was best at was interpreting Pokémon psychology, so his aura might be influence? Or inner strengthening? In any case, it was emotional and perceptual abilities.
"I feel like I'm going further and further down the path of being a Pokémon 'charmer'..." Johan couldn't help complaining internally.
Anyway, the [Pokédex] was becoming increasingly irrelevant.
Putting aside scattered thoughts, Johan looked at the Wheel of Time in his hand and gradually injected aura into it.
Soon, he actually felt the Wheel of Time feedback an emotion of... more, a little more, give me more.
Wheel of Time: (´∀`)
Johan: "..."
He took out the Rainbow Wing and slowly injected aura. The feedback was: full, already full, can't hold anymore, going to overflow!
Rainbow Wing: (>﹏<)
So all these things are "alive," right?
However, as aura was injected, through the Wheel of Time, Johan vaguely sensed Arceus's existence, seemingly sleeping in a very mysterious place.
At the same time, he also felt the Wheel of Time's faint guidance, directing him toward a distant direction.
If nothing unexpected, it was probably the Kalos region.
More importantly...
Buzz—
One of the four emerald green diamonds embedded in the corners of the Wheel of Time emitted a faint light, and a milky white barrier centered on the Wheel of Time appeared, enveloping Johan.
Hm?
"This is..."
"Oowoo?"
Ninetales, who was relatively close to Johan, noticed the changes around his body and couldn't help trotting over.
Seeing this, Johan quickly comforted: "Ninetales, I'm fine."
But his words were obviously unnecessary. Ninetales looked at the milky white glow around him, its light blue crystalline eyes flowing with light, and let out a gentle whine.
Around Ninetales's body, a similar glow gradually appeared, completely enveloping it while making the already crystalline-looking Ninetales gradually become mysterious and hazy.
"Safeguard?"
Johan understood the move Ninetales had used.
But this was a move Ninetales had never mastered before!
At the same time, Johan realized that the glow enveloping him through the Wheel of Time was also Safeguard.
Was this one of the Wheel of Time's functions?
After activating with aura, it could protect the user.
Honestly, this ability seemed quite useful in the wild, for wild battles, or unrestricted battles.
After all, the rules only restricted Pokémon to carrying one item, but didn't restrict how many items trainers could carry, right?
"Oowoo~~"
Ninetales nodded with realization, and the Safeguard around its body gradually faded.
Wait.
Johan's expression gradually became strange.
Ninetales definitely hadn't mastered Safeguard before, but now after just one look... it learned it.
Your learning ability...
Even for our own family's Pokémon, I can't help wanting to report this.
Watching Ninetales run off happily, Johan thought of something else.
"Safeguard - if I could really learn to hand-rub aura and construct aura barriers, wouldn't I... be going further and further down the path of 'humanoid Pokémon'?"
Maybe a new term would be born.
Super Hoenn Human?
"Tsk, quite interesting..."
Café, private Pokémon Psychology Clinic.
A woman dressed as a lady, wearing a wide-brimmed round hat, looked worriedly at the Pokémon beside her.
Johan, sitting in the main seat, maintained a professional smile and said:
"Madam, don't worry. It's just some emotional issues."
The lady held a handkerchief and looked stunned: "Emotional issues?"
Johan spread his hands: "Commonly known as heartbreak."
"So little Meow was heartbroken? I remember it used to play quite well with a Persian. After little Meow evolved, it seems like it rarely saw that Persian..."
Johan was also helpless about this. He looked at the Pokémon lying at the lady's feet with a lifeless expression - this was a... Purrloin!
As everyone knew, Purrloin was the evolved form of Glameow. Before evolution, Glameow indeed had outstanding looks as its name suggested, but after evolution...
Johan remembered there was a similar plot in the anime. Meowth should have deep understanding of this.
"Cough, it's fine. Usually, one 'hypnotherapy session' is enough." Johan coughed lightly.
"Really?" The lady's eyes immediately lit up. "Then please, Teacher Johan!"
Johan was about to call Ninetales.
But thinking about it, if he let Purrloin see Ninetales, it might... suffer a critical hit to its heart.
So he called: "Jigglypuff."
"Puri?"
Jigglypuff, who had been hiding outside the door, heard Johan call and knew it had a chance to "perform." It immediately trotted in with "puff puff" steps.
Jumping onto the table, it picked up the microphone and began to sing.
Although the audience was small, it didn't prevent Jigglypuff from being fully committed.
"Puri~Puri puri puri puri puri~Puri puri puri~~"
After one song, both the lady and Purrloin on the ground were fast asleep.
"Puri! (｀∀´)︻デ═一"
Seeing this, Jigglypuff's entire body puffed up like a balloon.
It pulled out the microphone and began its "operation."
Soon, when Johan finished his aura "treatment," he saw that both the lady and Purrloin's faces had been covered with Jigglypuff's signature graffiti.
However, Johan was already skilled at this - this was just a "side effect" of having Jigglypuff help with hypnosis.
"Rotom, come wash the floor - no, wash faces."
"Roger, Rotom!"
When the lady and Purrloin woke up, Johan happily earned a substantial "consultation fee," adding another brick to this family's foundation.
He didn't know when it started, but Johan's "Pokémon Psychology Clinic" was gradually trending toward becoming a "Pokémon Relationship Counseling Room."
Among the people and Pokémon seeking help, there were increasingly more Pokémon with psychological problems due to emotional issues.
But it wasn't surprising.
After all, Pokémon themselves were beings with independent consciousness and intelligence. Talking about love wasn't abnormal.
Heartbreak, unrequited love, secret crushes, puppy love - everything existed.
Cross-species and cross-group romances weren't uncommon either.
Like his own Gengar, hadn't it always liked Cinccino?
Every time it watched "Cinccino Adventures," it had that perverted look: hehe, Cinccino, hehe, my Cinccino...
"Why don't you learn from me..."
Johan took out his phone and called Cynthia.
Time passed quickly during the call.
"I have another call coming in." Johan looked at his phone.
"Okay, take care of yourself~"
"Mm."
He ended the call.
The incoming call showed Officer Jenny - Rustboro City's Officer Jenny.
He pressed the answer button.
"Teacher Johan." Officer Jenny's slightly serious voice came through.
Hearing this, Johan's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be... Team Magma or Team Aqua were causing trouble again?
"Officer Jenny, please go ahead. I'm listening."
But Officer Jenny's voice quickly relaxed.
"There's good news and even better news. Which would you like to hear first?"
Johan: "..."
If it's all good news, why was your voice so serious before?
How scary...
Seeing Johan didn't respond, Officer Jenny on the other end playfully stuck out her tongue and stopped teasing him, saying:
"The good news is that our League Police Department is planning a simulation exercise and wants to invite Teacher Johan to participate as a special instructor."
Simulation exercise?
Special instructor?
"I don't think I'm suitable."
Although Johan held the rank of Inspector in the International Police - a very high rank - he knew his own situation and really knew nothing about this area.
"Suitable, how could you not be suitable?" Officer Jenny quickly said.
"Cough cough. What about the other even better news?" Johan decided to hear about the second matter first.
When mentioning the second piece of news, Officer Jenny's voice became heavy.
"Teacher Johan, about the Pokémon hunter matter you asked us to investigate - we have leads."
Hm?
Hearing this, Johan frowned, sat up straight, and his expression became serious.
The only Pokémon hunter matter he had asked Rustboro City's Officer Jenny to investigate was - the full story of how his Ninetales was captured and sold to the Hoenn region.
That little Vulpix who had once huddled timidly in the garbage pile had now fully grown into an elegant and beautiful Ninetales.
But this didn't mean Johan had forgotten the culprits who caused Vulpix's condition.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Johan's dedication to fighting Pokémon hunters was largely related to Vulpix's experience and the Hatterene siblings' experiences.
"So... who is it? Or which group of Pokémon hunters?" Johan asked.
"Who it is or which group, we haven't fully investigated yet, but the information we received suggests that group might currently be in the Kalos region."
"Kalos again?" Johan frowned even more.
Why did everything recently involve the Kalos region?
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Johan took a deep breath.
Actually, he knew it wasn't that recent events were all happening in Kalos. Other regions, including the Hoenn region where he was located, also had various matters.
For example, the Hoenn region's Slateport City was about to hold the Slateport Contest, and they invited him as a guest for the opening speech.
Also, the Kanto region's Cerulean City had surfing competitions, Johto's Ecruteak City had summer fireworks festivals, Sinnoh's Hearthome City was preparing the largest Contest spectacular yet, also inviting him as a guest, etc.
It was just that, due to Arceus's words and the Wheel of Time, he had indeed been paying more attention to events in the Kalos region recently.
It seemed this trip was unavoidable.
"Officer Jenny, please send me a copy of the materials you've collected," Johan said.
"No problem."
As an Inspector in the International Police, Johan naturally had the authority to access such materials.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"By the way, Teacher Johan, if you're going to the Kalos region, you could check out our Jenny family's simulation exercise," Officer Jenny quickly added.
"The exercise is also in the Kalos region?"
"That's right."
Otherwise, why would Officer Jenny bring up both matters together?
"I'll see how it goes."
"Alright."
After hanging up, Johan quickly received information from Nurse Joy.
The information wasn't much - Officer Jenny didn't even know the opposing group's name, simply calling them the "Mysterious Pokémon Poaching Group."
Additionally, there were some scattered action traces of the opposing group, barely piecing together... the case involving Ninetales's initial theft.
Johan rested his chin on his hand.
"In the Kalos region, there are indeed one or two relatively famous Pokémon poaching groups..."
When he participated in the ice sculpture competition held in the Kalos region, he had inadvertently arrested two Pokémon hunters who targeted the Abomasnow clan.
"For this kind of information... Team Rocket might be more well-informed."
In certain aspects, the League's information channels were obviously not as good as Team Rocket's, especially these "underground channels."
Fortunately, Johan was not only an Inspector in the League's International Police but also a special advisor to Team Rocket's boss, belonging to the highest executive category.
With this thought, Johan directly called Giovanni in the distant Kanto region.
"Johan?"
When receiving Johan's call, Giovanni was still somewhat surprised.
After all, Giovanni's identity was rather special. Most of the time, they would choose Matori as an intermediary.
Of course, Giovanni hadn't revealed his identity yet, and Team Rocket was already beginning to transform, so occasional phone calls wouldn't raise suspicions.
"Gym Leader Giovanni." Johan got straight to the point. "I heard Gym Leader Giovanni is quite well-informed. I wonder if you could help me understand some matters..."
Giovanni's expression became somewhat strange.
Me, Giovanni? Well-informed?
Ridiculous.
When did Giovanni become a "know-it-all"?
However, since Johan rarely sought help, Giovanni naturally wouldn't refuse.
As for why Giovanni, as a Kanto region Viridian Gym Leader, would be well-informed, neither Johan nor Giovanni delved deeply into this matter, showing extremely synchronized understanding.
"I'd like to know some information about Pokémon poaching groups in the Kalos region, and I have some materials here, but can't determine which Pokémon poaching group..."
"Pokémon poaching?"
Giovanni nodded thoughtfully.
Giovanni also knew about Johan's dislike and hatred of Pokémon poaching groups.
And Team Rocket had actually "optimized out" this part of their "business." The last executive who secretly engaged in poaching, the Marauder, was personally arrested by Johan.
The largest poaching group in the Sinnoh region, Pokémon Hunter J's group, was destroyed by Johan.
Now Team Rocket had opened many breeding houses internally, and the Pokémon needed by Team Rocket members were mostly distributed through their own breeding methods - essentially "self-produced and self-consumed."
Actually, Team Rocket's breeding technology wasn't bad. After all, Giovanni himself was a top-tier Pokémon trainer and breeder. Any bit of his "Earth's Mysteries" leaked out would be enough for Team Rocket's breeding houses to raise Pokémon well.
"I understand."
Giovanni agreed.
After finishing the call with Johan, he could just pass this to Matori.
Compared to this, Giovanni was actually more concerned about another matter. Since Johan had actively called, Giovanni also said:
"Speaking of which, it helped me find my boy."
Giovanni's tone carried complexity and emotion.
Clearly having searched for his son for so long, even spending enormous energy, financial resources, and material resources for this, but when he really found him, he inevitably became anxious about gains and losses.
As the Team Rocket boss who dominated the Pokémon world, he would actually have such emotions - probably no one would believe it if told.
This was only with Johan, one of the few people in the entire Pokémon world Giovanni could speak his heart to.
Johan could hear some emotion in Giovanni's tone, and he also knew about this matter, since he had originally asked Mewtwo to help find Silver.
"Have you met him?" Johan asked.
"No."
Giovanni smiled bitterly.
It seemed Giovanni was still following his advice, Johan noted silently.
"Then... you must have had some contact, right?"
"Mm."
Giovanni didn't deny this. He had indeed sent Team Rocket members to try contacting Silver...
But that Team Rocket member was directly beaten up by Silver.
Initially, Giovanni was actually quite happy about this - his son could defeat a formal Team Rocket member at such a young age.
But later he gradually realized that Silver held some hostility toward Team Rocket.
And this hostility wasn't weak.
At the same time, through some investigation, Giovanni also noticed that Silver seemed to particularly care about several people - one called Gold, one called Crystal, and another he called "sister" - Blue.
After hearing Giovanni's brief account, Johan's expression gradually became strange.
The world's convergence was indeed powerful - Silver had still ended up meeting Gold and Crystal.
Gold...
This kid wasn't exactly a good "thing."
However, Gold indeed possessed qualities that Silver lacked.
For this pair of "frenemies," Johan suggested binding them together for life.
"So what are Gym Leader Giovanni's thoughts?" Johan asked again.
Giovanni took a deep breath, put away the various complex emotions in his heart, picked up a cookie from the table and put it in his mouth, saying calmly:
"My established plan won't change - transform what needs transforming, cut off what needs cutting off."
After a pause, he continued:
"After doing these things, I'll try inviting him to join."
"If he doesn't agree..."
Before Johan could finish, Giovanni narrowed his eyes and interrupted:
"If he doesn't agree, there are only two results - either I defeat him, or... he personally defeats me!"
Johan: "..."
He secretly gave a thumbs up.
Truly worthy of you, Boss Giovanni - you have a way with being tsundere.
Let Silver personally defeat you?
Are you planning to throw the fight?
Giovanni had his own plans.
His time was limited.
In this limited time, he would use his own methods to help Silver grow as much as possible.
Then, he would be personally defeated by Silver!
The final step for Team Rocket's complete transformation was for him, as Team Rocket's boss, to completely disappear.
Only when he disappeared could the labels attached to Team Rocket be completely erased.
And only when Silver defeated him could the label of "Team Rocket boss's son" on Silver disappear, allowing Silver to live the life he truly wanted.
Then... everything will be entrusted to you, Johan, Giovanni thought silently.
"Is there any possibility you two could peacefully recognize each other?" Johan smacked his lips.
Giovanni didn't respond, but said:
"If possible, Johan, I hope you can take him as your student."
"I—"
"Then it's settled. I'll find information for you later."
With that, Giovanni directly hung up.
Johan: "???"
He looked at his phone with his mouth open - he hadn't even finished saying "I" when the call was hung up?
No...
"Why... do I feel like I'm being entrusted with someone's last will..." Johan muttered to himself.
Actually, there was something Johan was quite curious about.
He had already confirmed that this world's Pryce wasn't the "Mask of Ice" from the manga, so the question was...
Who took away Silver and Blue?
The supposed companions Bugsy and Karen had no problems, and Bugsy and Karen were much older than Silver and Blue.
"This chaotic timeline..."
Johan rubbed his nose bridge with his fingertip.
Not one of them could give him peace of mind.
This father and son pair...
"Boss Giovanni?"
Matori received a call from Giovanni and was somewhat delighted.
"Matori, Johan's side..."
Then Giovanni briefly recounted the information Johan wanted to know and hoped Team Rocket would help investigate.
Hearing this, Matori's expression immediately became serious, nodding earnestly.
"Understood! I'll contract a few more mines right away!"
"Hm?"
Giovanni was stunned.
"The previous mine workers are all at full capacity. Contract a few more, and when Teacher Johan destroys those Pokémon poaching groups, we can throw them all into the mines for labor reform."
Matori seemed very familiar with this process, skipping the intermediate steps and directly arranging mine workers.
It had to be said, mineral development had become a very successful project in Team Rocket's transformation process.
Aside from mine contracting fees, other human and material resources... were all zero cost. How could the returns be bad?
She had recently heard that several mines with good resources in the Kalos region were about to change hands, and she was looking for opportunities to bid for them.
Others had to worry about costs, but they didn't have such concerns, making them more competitive.
"There's one more thing. The trio's benefits should also be slightly increased," Giovanni said.
"Oh oh! Okay!"
The trio already had full five insurances and one fund, seventeen salaries per year, over a hundred days of paid vacation annually, and many other benefits and welfare...
Where should the increase go—
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Powerstones?
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