Pokemon: Spiritual Master

At a café in Fortree City's central plaza, a man and a woman in capes were leisurely sipping coffee.

Noticing people approaching from afar, the young man with short, dark red hair called out:

"Three more cups of coffee, please."

"Understood, please wait a moment."

Then, he smiled and waved toward the plaza.

"Johan, over here."

Walking toward them were Johan, Cynthia, and Flint.

"It's been a while, Lance, Clair."

After sitting down, Johan greeted them casually.

"It really has been some time," Lance replied.

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Clair, arms crossed, let out a soft huff, clearly not in the best mood.

"There seem to be a lot of people here today," Cynthia said as she finished the last dango, speaking with her mouth half-full.

Flint glanced toward the central registration area of the plaza, where a massive crowd had already gathered.

"Looks like even signing up won't be easy."

"Don't worry," Lance smiled slightly. "I already registered for you all."

Flint cautiously glanced at Johan and Cynthia, then pointed at himself.

Lance's smile remained unchanged. "You're all signed up, no need to thank me."

Flint took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "Thanks…"

"Ka-kaah~"

Gengar emerged from Johan's shadow, pointed toward the nearby food stalls, and drooled.

"Go on," Johan ruffled its head, "just don't cause trouble."

"Ka-kaah~"

Gengar called Rotom along.

Come on, how could you not trust me?

"Rotom, Ninetales, keep an eye on it," Johan instructed.

Bzzzt—

A Poké Ball on his waist popped open, and Ninetales emerged.

"Are… are you serious, Roto?"

"Oowoo~"

Rotom alone might not have been able to rein in Gengar, but with Ninetales around, it was definitely possible.

Gengar could be mischievous, but it wouldn't cross the line in broad daylight.

Humming a tune, the three Pokémon trotted off.

"Where were we?" Lance asked.

"Oh, Flint wanted to ask you for advice on catching a Flying-type Pokémon," Johan said without hesitation.

"Flying-type? Me?"

Lance pointed at himself, confirming.

"You know a lot about them, and he specializes in Fire-types."

"I see…"

Lance rubbed his chin in thought and murmured,

"Charizard is an excellent choice."

Flint's eyes lit up. That was pretty much what he expected.

Then Lance continued,

"Moltres is also a good option."

Flint's breath caught. Then, he nodded rapidly—this suggestion was even better!

No doubt about it, Lance truly lived up to his name.

Johan, watching the two seriously discuss the matter, was momentarily stunned.

One dares to suggest, the other dares to listen…

"Johan, Cynthia, Lance, and Clair, welcome to Fortree City."

As they chatted, a tall, elegant woman in a light blue flight suit approached them.

It was none other than Fortree City's Gym Leader—Winona!

Flint covered his face.

Will no one recognize me?

"Oh, my apologies. Welcome, Flint," Winona added after noticing him.

"N-no problem!"

Flint shivered, eyes brimming with tears.

Finally, someone acknowledged me!

The group exchanged greetings.

After learning they were participating in the Wing Festival's aerial race, Winona smiled and said:

"The weather today is excellent—perfect for flying. However, based on my experience, the optimal flying conditions haven't arrived yet. You may have to wait a little longer."

Winona wasn't just the Gym Leader of Fortree City; she was also the chief Gym Leader of Hoenn, overseeing various Gym-related matters.

Like Erika in Kanto.

So she easily struck up a conversation with the group.

Johan and Lance were first-time participants, but as the host, Winona had attended many times and generously shared her insights.

"The best flying conditions aren't necessarily when the air is completely still. It's about reading the air currents, understanding them, and using them to your advantage…"

Technically, Pokémon were not allowed to attack each other during the race.

However, there were no absolute rules.

For example, a Pokémon flying in front might use an aerial maneuver to disturb the airflow, making it harder for those behind to keep up.

Likewise, positioning and flight paths could be used to gain an advantage.

Additionally, the racecourse itself was designed to be unpredictable, featuring water surfaces, forests, rock formations, and other obstacles—requiring Trainers to make quick decisions.

"Ahem… what if a Trainer isn't great at riding a Pokémon?" Johan asked, clearing his throat.

The group turned to look at him.

Johan quickly added,

"I'm asking for Flint."

Flint: "???"

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Only Cynthia, smiling mischievously, glanced at Johan with a knowing look.

Winona chuckled and explained,

"Trainers can fly separately from their Pokémon. The event provides hot air balloons, though this makes it harder to give commands in real-time."

She paused, then added,

"If you insist on flying together, protective gear is highly recommended. It may slightly hinder movement but ensures safety."

Protective gear!

"Or…"

Winona's smile grew.

"You could just let your Pokémon carry you."

Johan immediately pictured Red being carried by an Aerodactyl, held up by his backpack straps.

And if he fell…

Winona continued giving tips on aerial racing until another person arrived.

"Everyone."

As expected—

It was Wallace, the current Sootopolis City Gym Leader.

The moment Wallace appeared, Winona's warm and friendly expression instantly turned cold. She stood up and said,

"My apologies, I have some preparations to attend to. I'll take my leave."

After a brief, polite bow, she turned and walked away.

Wallace looked awkward.

Johan nudged him.

"Go after her."

Wallace hesitated for a moment before realizing Johan's intent. He gave Johan a grateful look before hurrying after Winona.

"Winona!"

The group exchanged glances.

Clair, ever perceptive, immediately caught on.

"Are Wallace and Winona…?"

Flint, on the other hand, suddenly exclaimed,

"Do they have a grudge?"

Everyone: "…"

"You seem to know something?" Cynthia asked Johan.

She had noticed how he prompted Wallace.

Johan held up both thumbs and gently bent them.

However, no one seemed to understand the gesture.

How can you not recognize this universal sign?

Sighing, Johan explained,

"They're a couple. Or at least, they used to be."

Clair's gossip-loving instincts ignited. She stared at Johan and said seriously,

"Details."

Even Cynthia looked intrigued.

Seriously?

Johan eyed the bag of sunflower seeds that had suddenly appeared in Clair's hands.

Do you also have a Gengar hidden somewhere?

His knowledge about Wallace and Winona came from Pokémon Adventures.

Wallace and Winona had been dating for a long time.

When Wallace was younger, he participated in the Pokémon League and won, leading many to believe he had the potential to become an Elite Four member—or even a Champion.

But instead, he chose to follow his mentor, Juan, and became Sootopolis City's Gym Leader.

Winona, also a Gym Leader, found it suffocating to have a stronger partner always by her side, predicting her every move. It put immense pressure on her, leading to their breakup.

However, she never realized…

The reason Wallace made that choice was because she had just taken over as Gym Leader, and he wanted to stay close to support her.

But Wallace never told her this, fearing it would hurt her pride even more.

And so…

Their relationship remained in a delicate balance—still in love but unable to bridge the gap between them.

After hearing Johan's brief explanation, the group fell silent.

It wasn't about who was right or wrong.

But…

It was a shame they never moved past it.

Johan also recalled how, in Pokémon Adventures, both Wallace and Winona had tragically perished during the Hoenn crisis—until Celebi reversed time and saved them.

Thank Arceus for Celebi.

Not long after, Wallace returned with a resigned look.

Clearly, this wasn't his first attempt… or his first failure.

Lance patted him on the back in sympathy.

Only to be immediately glared at by Clair.

Do you even have the right to be giving out relationship advice?

Lance, baffled by Clair's sudden hostility, had no idea what he did wrong.

At that moment, Flint suddenly stood up.

"Let's battle!"

Eyes burning with determination, he scanned the group.

In his mind, there was no problem that couldn't be solved with a Pokémon battle.

And if there was?

Just battle more!

----------

New pokemon fic, coming soon. No I won't drop this one. Here's the title and synopsis:

Lord of the Manor in Pokemon

In the year 447 of the Kingdom's calendar, 3,000 years before the founding of the Pokémon League…

At this time, the Dragon Stone had yet to split into Zekrom and Reshiram, AZ was still researching the Ultimate Weapon, the Darkest Day had not yet descended upon Galar, and Pokémon were known as "beasts," irreconcilable with humans…

In this era, a human equipped with an MC system arrived in the ancient Pokémon world.

Survival, hunting, gathering, farming, building a territory, constructing a manor, taming Pokémon…

Thus, a fortified manor rose overnight, where wild Pokémon of all kinds lived alongside humans.

Three years later, when the army of the ancient Unova Kingdom heard the news and arrived, they were utterly dumbfounded as they gazed at a human commanding terrifying beasts.

"?"

Powerstones?