Pokemon: Spiritual Master

Johan signaled Steven to chase after Heatran while he immediately tended to Kubfu and Charcadet's injuries.

Though they had managed to withstand Heatran's attack and even launched a somewhat effective counteroffensive, they hadn't escaped unscathed.

The two little ones had suddenly become so determined—no doubt influenced by Dragonite, Gengar, and the others.

After all, while they were all close companions, no one wanted to be the one dragging the team down.

Especially after Dragonair evolved into Dragonite and saw a massive boost in strength.

Now, whenever these two spotted an opportunity for "experience," they got eager—let alone when that "experience" came in the form of a huge Heatran.

However...

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Johan had a feeling that Charcadet's evolution wasn't entirely up to itself, whereas Kubfu's evolution might not be far off.

"Maybe... we should have a little in-team tournament?"

Not necessarily to determine rankings or victories—

But weren't those all just huge experience bags?

Why let those benefits go to outsiders?

"You two..."

Johan placed one hand on Charcadet's head and grabbed Kubfu by the scruff of its neck, lifting it up. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"Well done!"

"Goka!"

Charcadet's expression turned serious.

Maybe this time it had earned a bit of respect?

"Ku~zzZ"

Kubfu flailed its legs in the air, waving its fists.

I am Coach Kubfu! Do I not deserve some dignity?

Can't you wait until we're home to pick me up like this?

Seeing that they were in decent shape, Johan finally relaxed.

He called for Ninetales and Dragonite, then hurried in the direction Steven had gone.

Before long, they arrived at a chamber—one where Gastly had once accidentally ventured.

The magma within had now settled, and Heatran had also calmed down. Upon seeing Johan approach, Heatran seemed to recall—

Hadn't it been fed Pokéblocks before?

Its gaze then shifted to Charcadet and Kubfu.

It gave a slight nod.

"Garrr—"

These two were worth acknowledging.

But... their strength was still lacking compared to its own.

Suddenly—

Heatran felt a chill down its spine.

"Ka-kaah~"

Without it even noticing, Gengar had appeared behind it, one arm "friendly" draped over its shoulder.

Heatran turned its head—

Only to be met with Gengar's wicked, unsettling grin.

Long time no see, huh?

HUMMMM—

A Poké Ball on Johan's belt opened, and at long last, the long-suppressed Tinkaton emerged.

THUD!!

Its heavy hammer landed effortlessly on the ground, forming a deep indentation while causing the entire cave to tremble and loose rocks to fall.

Tinkaton's eyes gleamed.

"Cha~!"

You're a Steel-type, right?

BANG—

Dragonite landed on Heatran's other side, its pudgy arm casually resting on Heatran's opposite shoulder. It gave a few "gentle" pats.

Thud, thud—

Heatran staggered a few steps, nearly losing its footing.

"Draaa~?"

You nearly scared me back there. Turns out, you're one of "us"?

WHOOSH—

A frigid gust swept through the once-scorching magma cave. Frost crystals began forming under Heatran's feet, slowly creeping upward, threatening to encase it completely.

Ninetales landed lightly, turning its head toward Johan.

"Oowoo?"

Are you sure this thing is actually calm now? It seems much safer to just freeze it.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Heatran's forehead.

How had it not noticed before—

This bunch was trouble.

If Johan had known Heatran's thoughts, he would've explained patiently:

First, its rage had indeed enhanced its strength while dulling its sense of pain.

Second, as a Pokémon residing in volcanic magma, Heatran's strength was tied to the activity of the volcano—explosiveness, terrain advantage, and so on.

Third, Johan's team hadn't just been worried about their own safety but also whether Heatran would "flip the table" and blow up Mt. Chimney.

And most importantly—

Just in the brief moment they had been "greeting" Heatran:

Gengar had looked at the Volcanic Keystone eight times, Ninetales three times, Dragonite five times, Kubfu five times, Charcadet eleven times, and Tinkaton... thirty-nine times!

Forty. Forty-one. Forty-two...

Alright, enough!

"Garrr—"

Heatran forced what it believed was a friendly smile.

Who would've thought that after all this time, Gengar still remembered exactly where the Volcanic Keystone was and had led Flannery straight to it?

When Johan arrived, Steven and Flannery both let out a small breath of relief.

Aura exists within the heart!

Now that Heatran seemed open to communication, Johan immediately used his Aura powers again.

This time, he quickly received a response from Heatran.

Huh?

Just as Johan had suspected—the magma's excessive activity had been caused by someone.

The resulting turbulence had dislodged the Volcanic Keystone, enraging Heatran.

The increase in magma activity had also enhanced Heatran's strength.

So, who was responsible for stirring up the magma in Mt. Chimney?

And for what purpose?

There were really only three possible culprits:

Team MagmaTeam AquaPokémon Hunters

Setting aside Team Magma and Team Aqua for now—

If Pokémon Hunters were involved, they were likely trying to create chaos to either escape or take advantage of the situation.

But Johan had a strong feeling it was either Team Magma or Team Aqua.

"Are they finally getting restless... or are they searching for the Crimson Orb?"

Meanwhile, in a secret base far from Mt. Chimney—

"Boss, the volcanic activity at Mt. Chimney has subsided. Looks like someone noticed and intervened."

A young man in a red robe sat with his legs crossed at a desk, studying data on his computer with a grin.

Standing beside him, a bespectacled middle-aged man—arms crossed in a classic commanding posture—remained unfazed. He simply muttered:

"Just a tiny piece of meteorite... and with the right device, it triggered such a drastic reaction..."

If Johan were here, he'd instantly recognize them—Team Magma!

The bespectacled man was Maxie, the leader of Team Magma!

And the one seated below him—one of the "Three Flames" of Team Magma—Tabitha.

Hearing Maxie's words, Tabitha smirked. "Shame that Greater Mauville Holdings was only willing to hand over a tiny fragment of that meteorite."

Maxie adjusted his glasses subtly.

"The fact that they were willing to part with one means they likely have at least one more—if not more."

Tabitha grinned, eyes flashing with interest.

"Boss, should we—"

Maxie shot him a calm glance.

Tabitha immediately shut up.

"The time isn't right yet."

"Yes, sir."

Back in the present—

"Meteorites?"

Steven looked puzzled. He didn't understand why Johan had suddenly asked him to pay attention to meteorites and fossils in the market.

"Heatran said it saw a small meteorite fall into the magma—and that's when everything became unstable," Johan said smoothly.

Heatran blinked.

Did I say that?

Catching Johan's meaningful look, Heatran quickly nodded.

Yes! Yes, I said that!

Johan smiled. Gengar immediately understood and, though reluctant, pulled out a box of Pokéblocks and patted Heatran's back.

"Ka-kaah~"

We're friends now.

Heatran eyed the Pokéblocks and swallowed.

It glanced around.

Friends, huh?

Better than being enemies!

Taking the Pokéblocks in its mouth, Heatran slipped back into the Volcanic Keystone.

Johan let it be—his mind was elsewhere.

In the original story, Team Magma had used a device to amplify meteorite energy to agitate Mt. Chimney's magma in an attempt to expand landmass.

Honestly... Johan thought it was a pretty dumb plan.

But sometimes, there was no reasoning with fools—what they saw as a grand cause was a catastrophic mistake to everyone else.

And when it came to meteorites, Steven knew far more than he did.

"I understand. I'll look into it," Steven said seriously.

The Hoenn region... was far more unstable than it seemed.

It was time to start preparing some backup forces.

At Lavaridge Town's Pokémon Center—

"Johan, your Pokémon have fully recovered. They're in great condition," Nurse Joy said with a warm smile as she handed the Poké Balls back to Johan and his companions.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Johan replied with a grin.

"It's my duty," Nurse Joy responded, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Johan glanced down at the Poké Balls.

Kubfu had already fallen asleep—likely exhausted. For once, it hadn't continued training even in its sleep.

As for Charcadet...

Johan had sensed something different about it during their battle.

Through his Aura, he had felt Charcadet's transformation.

Just like how charcoal burns brighter over time, Charcadet's "life fire" seemed to have been ignited by Heatran's Magma Storm. It was now burning even stronger.

The downside?

The chunks of charcoal it had been consuming had been completely burned away during the battle.

Looks like I need to restock on charcoal...

Wait.

Would this count as a workplace injury?

Filing an expense report for this isn't unreasonable, right?

Should he send it to the Investigation Bureau? Or maybe the International Police?

Actually... why not send it to both?

Whichever one approves it first, I'll take it. If both approve it, even better.

"Alright, let's go soak in the hot springs," Johan announced, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Since they had made the trip to Lavaridge Town, it would be a shame not to enjoy the famous hot springs.

The last time he had soaked in one was back in Sinnoh.

That time, someone had ended up looking like a drenched Pidgey...

Huh?

Just as he stepped out of the Pokémon Center, Johan suddenly had a realization.

Wait a minute...

Where's Flint?

"What's wrong, Johan?" Steven and Flannery asked as they noticed him pause.

Johan coughed lightly. "Nothing."

Flint, a future Elite Four member, should be able to make it home on his own, right?

I'll just check in on him after the hot springs...

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Powerstones?

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