Pokemon: Spiritual Master

"Johan."

Just as Johan was watching Flint's battle with Drake—oh no, his one-sided beating—a voice called out to him.

He turned toward the sound.

It was Bertha, the Sinnoh Elite Four member!

Huh?

Why was Bertha on Drake's ship?

Could it be...

Cough, cough.

"Bertha," Johan greeted her with a smile.

"That Pokémon egg..." Bertha's eyes fell on the egg cradled in Charcadet's arms. "A Ground-type Pokémon's egg?"

"You recognize it?" Johan raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"Not exactly, but I can tell it's related to a Ground-type Pokémon. Look at these patterns..."

Johan sighed internally.

The harder it is for others to recognize, the more certain I am about what's inside.

"If you need any guidance in raising a Ground-type Pokémon, feel free to ask me," Bertha said with a kind smile.

"Definitely."

Even though Johan had Giovanni's 'Secrets of the Earth', Bertha was still a Sinnoh Elite Four member. She must have her own expertise.

Bertha pursed her lips, pausing briefly before saying,

"Actually, the reason we called you here..."

Huh?

Johan was momentarily confused.

Wasn't it Drake who called me here?

Was Bertha involved as well?

"...is because we're forming the 'Sinnoh-Hoenn Joint Special Task Force to Eliminate Pokémon Hunters.'"

What a ridiculously long name.

"After discussions between me, Drake, and Anabel, we would like you to serve as the leader of this 'Special Task Force.'"

"Me?"

Johan pointed at himself.

Why?!

If I did something wrong, just tell me—I'll change!

Sure, Johan hated Pokémon Hunters. But he also understood one thing—

As long as the black market exists, as long as there's demand, these hunters will never fully disappear.

Bertha nodded. "Our main target is the Pokémon Hunter syndicate led by Hunter J."

Johan immediately understood.

So the goal is primarily Hunter J and her crew.

That made things much more straightforward.

Besides, Johan and Hunter J already had plenty of personal grudges.

Still, he decided to struggle a little.

"I'm not exactly an expert in this field... Wouldn't you or Drake be better suited for this role?"

Bertha smiled faintly. "Drake and I are too high-profile."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing through them.

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"The last time we organized a major raid, we planned everything meticulously. But in the end, they got away at the last minute. You can probably guess why."

There was a mole inside the League!

Or, more precisely, Team Galactic, led by Cyrus, was covertly aiding Hunter J.

But Johan's identity was still 'clean.'

Moreover, just days ago, Johan had orchestrated a flawless operation to capture a team of Pokémon Hunters—not a single one had escaped.

"...So," Bertha continued, "you have both the experience and the ability for this job."

Johan rubbed his temples. "Well, I think..."

At first, he wanted to say Cynthia or Steven would be better candidates.

But after a second thought—

Cynthia was hard to drag into this.

Steven? He was his student—how could a teacher dump the responsibility onto his pupil?

Besides, Steven had just managed to pull himself out of the chaos between being a Trainer, Devon Corporation's heir, and a rock-collecting enthusiast. It wouldn't be fair to pile more on him.

So Johan said, "Volkner seems like a good choice."

Sorry, Volkner.

Volkner was smart, meticulous, and highly capable—he would definitely be a great fit for this role.

Bertha blinked.

"Volkner recommended you."

Johan: "???"

Excuse me?

Since when did Volkner have a seat at high-level League meetings?!

Has he climbed that high already?!

After Bertha's explanation, Johan finally understood.

It turned out that when Volkner had told him Bertha had asked him for a favor, this was what she meant.

But later, Volkner felt he was inexperienced and unsuited for the job—so he recommended Johan instead.

That's why Bertha proposed his name at the meeting.

"Okay, Volkner, I see how it is," Johan gritted his teeth internally.

"How about Anabel, then?" He refused to give up.

In terms of experience, authority, and rank, Anabel was far more qualified than him.

"Anabel would have been a perfect choice," Bertha admitted. "But recently, the International Police Countermeasures Division was established, and Anabel has been appointed as its Director."

Johan: "..."

So there's literally no one else?!

The Elite Four are too high-profile.

The Gym Leaders are also too conspicuous.

Among non-League members...

Flint? Aaron?

Good lord—there really weren't many reliable choices left.

Bertha smiled again.

"Don't worry. In critical moments, Drake, myself, and even others will follow your command."

Johan slowly raised his hand.

"I have one more question—as a Pokémon Academy teacher..."

As he spoke, Bertha also spoke, their voices nearly overlapping.

"And don't worry about funding—hm?"

"...A teacher should shoulder more responsibility! Pokémon Hunters are scum that must be eradicated!" Johan's face turned serious.

Bertha was deeply moved and said warmly,

"If only the League had more young Trainers like you, I could retire sooner."

"You're too kind, Bertha. You're not old at all!"

Bertha chuckled at his flattery.

"Right, you said you had one more question?"

Johan pondered briefly, then said,

"Since I'm a teacher, my main duty is education. I won't always be available..."

"Hm."

Bertha nodded. It was true—Johan couldn't abandon teaching entirely for this mission.

But it was precisely this sense of responsibility that made him even more trustworthy.

"So, you're asking for...?"

"A team." Johan didn't hesitate.

"Deal!" Bertha immediately agreed. "I see you're close with Flint and Aaron—they can assist you."

Johan: "???"

These two?!

Johan took a deep breath and said firmly, "Then I want one more person!"

"Who?"

"Volkner!" Johan said without hesitation.

Volkner and these two must be a package deal!

Otherwise, I'll turn into a full-time babysitter!

Johan fully acknowledged Volkner's abilities. With Volkner onboard, his workload would be significantly reduced—he might even be able to slack off a little.

And it's absolutely NOT because Volkner sold him out.

Nope.

I'm not being petty at all.

"No problem," Bertha agreed easily.

Volkner wasn't an Elite Four or Gym Leader, so he wasn't as high-profile.

And, to be fair—

Everyone who worked with Volkner had given rave reviews.

"A trusted choice."

Thus, in just a few exchanges—

The Sinnoh-Hoenn Joint Special Task Force to Eliminate Pokémon Hunters—shortened to the 'Special Task Force'—was officially established!

Leader: Johan.

Deputy Leader: Volkner.

Temporary Members: Flint, Aaron.

"By the way," Bertha suddenly remembered something. "Johan, you're still planning to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference, right?"

"Will that bring too much attention?" Johan asked.

"No," Bertha shook her head with a smile. "I just wanted to confirm. After all, who would suspect that a conference participant is actually the leader of the Special Task Force?"

That made sense.

Bertha and Drake attracted attention because of their Elite Four status.

Johan nodded thoughtfully.

Still... something about this felt a little off.

Bertha's smile grew wider.

This was the perfect promotional opportunity.

ACHOO!

Sinnoh, Canalave City, Canalave Library.

Volkner, who had been leisurely sipping coffee while reading, suddenly sneezed.

In the silent library, it echoed loudly, drawing several irritated glares.

Volkner quickly gave an apologetic glance.

He rubbed his nose.

"That's weird..."

Did I catch a cold?

He stood up, carrying his book and coffee, and moved to a seat by the window. The warm sunlight streamed through, casting a golden glow over him.

He narrowed his eyes in comfort.

Perfect.

He had completed the task Bertha assigned to him, and now, with Johan taking over, he could return to a peaceful life.

Just thinking about it made him feel at ease.

"The world is such a beautiful place..."

"Oh, right."

Volkner pulled out his phone and swiftly blocked both Flint and Aaron.

Then, seeing Cynthia and Johan's contacts—

He shivered.

The consequences of blocking those two were too severe.

But this was enough.

He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and smiled.

"What a perfect afternoon..."

Drake's Ship.

"Here, your reimbursement package."

After finishing his battle—which left him feeling quite refreshed—Drake handed Johan a package.

"Ka-kaah~"

Gengar opened its mouth, swallowed the package whole, and gave Drake an "OK" gesture.

Drake laughed heartily. He really liked both Gengar and Johan's straightforward personalities.

"But Johan," Drake said, patting him on the shoulder, "next time, tone down your reimbursement requests a little. Otherwise, I really won't be able to explain things to Boney."

Johan squinted at him.

To be fair, he had never bought a single piece of clothing for himself—

But wasn't it reasonable to claim compensation for a set of clothes ruined by magma?!

After some brief consideration, Johan nodded.

"90-10."

Drake's face became serious.

"70-30."

"80-20. Otherwise, I quit."

"Deal!"

After all, the Hoenn League had Devon Corporation as a tax-paying giant—in the Pokémon world, only the Kanto League could rival them financially.

"Alright, let's get you to Sinnoh!"

Drake, now in an even better mood, gave a hearty wave.

"Ka-kaah?!"

Gengar turned, startled by the sudden appearance of a familiar face.

Who was this?!

"It's me—Flint!"

Gengar shook its head furiously.

"Ka-kaah!"

Lies! Flint isn't this handsome!

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Powerstones?

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