Galar Region, Isle of Armor
An elderly man in a green tracksuit, topped with a vivid black-and-green striped cap, put down his phone after dialing a number.
This was none other than Mustard, the undefeated former champion of the Galar region for 18 consecutive years!
The person on the other end of the call was his most esteemed student—Leon.
"Master..." Leon's familiar yet exasperated voice came through, accompanied by some background noise.
"Busy, are we, little Dande?" Mustard asked cheerfully, setting down his game controller with a chuckle.
"Yes, I'm in the middle of shooting an ad."
"Old me wants to ask you about someone," Mustard said, casually controlling his in-game character to pummel his opponents into submission with one hand.
"Johan...? Oh, you mean Johan-sensei?" Leon's tone carried a hint of surprise.
"Looks like you've heard of him."
Leon waved off a few staff members from Macro Cosmos, finding a quieter spot to continue the conversation. "Well, I wouldn't say I know him personally, but I've seen his battle videos. He's an incredible 'Tactical Master.'"
"Tactical Master, huh..." Mustard's face lit up with curiosity.
"Why do you ask, Master?"
"An old friend of mine said this little Johan is some impressive martial arts master and asked if I could help train him."
"Martial arts master?"
From what he knew, Johan was a Pokémon psychologist and a brilliant tactician, with some experience as a researcher. But now someone's claiming he's also a martial arts master?
"Little Dande," Mustard continued, "aren't you planning a trip to Kanto soon?"
"Are you asking me to visit Johan-sensei?"
"Nope! I need you to grab me a few newly released games—'Pikachu Run,' 'Machamp's Muscle Parade,' and..."
"Haha, just kidding," Mustard quickly added, realizing his mistake. "On a more serious note, could you also drop by Hoenn to visit an old friend of mine? And if you meet little Johan, invite him to visit the Isle of Armor sometime."
"Master, can you lead with the important stuff next time?" Leon sighed, rubbing his temples.
"That was the important part," Mustard pouted.
For him, gaming had long since taken precedence over nearly everything else.
"Fine, fine, I understand. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to pay Johan-sensei a visit eventually," Leon admitted.
Challenging skilled trainers worldwide was one of his goals.
The Galar region's Pokémon League had been established relatively recently, and the region itself was still developing. Compared to others, it lagged behind in many aspects.
Leon's dream was to make Galar a stronger and more recognized region.
"Good, good," Mustard said, nodding.
"Anything else, Master?"
Mustard's eyes gleamed mischievously. "How are things between you and Sonia?"
"Things are great! She still can't beat me in a battle, haha!" Leon replied proudly, laughing heartily.
Mustard rolled his eyes and hung up.
"This kid, so dense... totally unlike old me!"
From the kitchen came the sound of loud thumps and crashing.
"No! Not like that! You're kneading it wrong!" came James' panicked shout.
The familiar sound of a cutting board snapping in two echoed through the café.
Sipping his coffee in the courtyard, Johan glanced at the rippling surface of his cup before exchanging a resigned look with the Vulpix in his lap.
How many cutting boards does this make now?
Bea had stayed on at the café temporarily.
Dressed in a server's uniform, she spent her free time learning how to make desserts and coffee from James. Naturally, she gravitated more toward desserts.
At first, Bea hadn't understood why Johan had arranged this.
Now, she was beginning to get it.
Through tasks like kneading dough, she was learning to control her immense strength and develop finesse.
"Sorry!" Bea's voice, full of guilt, echoed from the kitchen.
"It's—it's okay, Miss Bea! Let's try again!" James reassured her, though his voice quivered with thinly veiled exhaustion.
Watching from the courtyard, Johan took another sip of coffee and smiled.
James truly has the patience of a saint.
Despite Bea repeatedly breaking things, James never seemed to lose his temper.
Then again, this was the same James who had relentlessly pursued Pikachu alongside Jessie and Meowth for years without giving up. Perseverance was practically his defining trait.
What surprised Johan more was how much Bea's demeanor had improved in just a few days.
Not only did she smile while eating sweets, but she now smiled genuinely while making them too.
"She's still just a kid. Kids should laugh more—it suits them," Johan mused aloud.
"Oowu~~" Vulpix wagged its tails in agreement.
Just then, Gengar phased through the wall behind Johan.
"Ka-kah?" it asked, tilting its head.
Is it really okay for her to keep breaking cutting boards ? Aren't they expensive?
Johan chuckled. "What do you think costs more: an employee's wages or a few cutting boards?"
Understanding dawned on Gengar's face as it gave Johan a thumbs-up.
Johan-sensei always finds a way to come out ahead!
At that moment, Johan's phone buzzed with an incoming call.
The screen displayed the name: Matori.
Answering, Johan immediately heard her crisp and efficient voice.
"Johan-sensei, everything has been arranged. As per your suggestion, Spikemutt has selected a particularly... um... simple-minded Granbull for the role."
"Good." Johan nodded.
"Additionally, Mauville TV and Rustboro TV have been contacted and are on board. Everything is set to go."
Johan couldn't help but marvel at Matori's efficiency.
Team Rocket truly had no shortage of talent.
"Excellent. Let's start production as soon as possible."
"Understood!" Matori replied, her tone brimming with energy.
After a pause, she added, "Johan-sensei, please don't overwork yourself!"
Johan blinked at the unexpected concern, then smiled. "I'll be careful. Thanks, Matori."
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment before Matori softly replied, "Y-You're welcome..."
After the call, Johan's phone buzzed again—this time from an unexpected caller: Professor Sycamore.
Answering, Johan heard the Kalos professor's deep, charismatic voice.
"Ah, Johan-sensei! I hope I'm not interrupting you?"
"Not at all, Professor. What's the matter?"
After a bit of polite small talk, Sycamore got to the point.
"I've hit a roadblock in one of my studies. After some thought, I realized I could use your expertise as a Pokémon psychologist. You're uniquely skilled in analyzing and fostering bonds between trainers and their Pokémon."
"I'll help however I can. What's the issue?"
"Have you heard of Mega Evolution?"
For 20 advance Chapters: /michaeltranslates