N

Unova Region.

The blackened night sky, cloaked in fog, carried an eerie chill, as though hiding some grand secret. When lightning suddenly flashed, it seemed more like a divine sword piercing through the darkness, bringing with it a holy mission and purpose.

A brilliant white light flickered across the horizon, like a sharp blade descending from the heavens.

At the end of the dazzling lightning strike, a faint figure appeared, as if it were dispelling all the surrounding darkness. Yet, as the lightning faded, the figure vanished into deeper shadows, replaced by the endless rain and howling wind. The cold wind and fine rain wove together with the oppressive night sky to form an impenetrable web.

The castle's towering dome cast a shadow sharp as a blade, falling upon a young man.

He sat slouched against the castle's railing, a green-haired figure in a white short-sleeved shirt, with a Rubik's cube hanging at his waist.

The cold wind howled around him, the fine rain tracing across his face. He adjusted his hat's brim, and his expressionless, calm eyes gazed out toward the distant horizon.

"Woo~~"

Perhaps because of the cold or the rain, an Arcanine curled up beside him stood up and moved closer, offering him warmth.

The young man's gaze gradually focused. Feeling the concern of his companion, he smiled gently, stroking Arcanine's fur.

"Woo—"

Arcanine's tail wagged, clearly happy with the young man's response. It nuzzled against his face, licking him, bringing out a warmer smile from him.

Hugging Arcanine, the young man looked down at his phone nearby.

Even if you hadn't asked, I would have done it.

But...

"A hero... huh?"

A twinkle like a star in the night sky flickered in the boy's green eyes.

At that moment—

"N, it's time for your etiquette lessons."

A deep, commanding voice echoed from within the castle.

"Woo..."

Sensing N's reluctance, Arcanine whimpered softly.

But N simply gave it a reassuring pat, signaling that he was fine. What N didn't realize was that the sparkle in his eyes had already dimmed again, becoming lifeless, like still water.

"I'm coming."

Hoenn Region, Lavaridge Town.

The events at Mt. Chimney from the previous night had been handled swiftly, so only a few people knew about them. While Roxanne had notified the other teachers accompanying the trip, only a select few, like Teacher Duff, were aware of what had happened.

Thus, the autumn field trip continued as planned the following day.

With so many students participating, each class was assigned to different areas of Mt. Chimney for wilderness exploration.

As the strongest class, the first-year battle class was assigned to one of the more "dangerous" regions.

Of course, "dangerous" was a relative term—under the teachers' protection, there wasn't much real danger. The activity truly felt like a typical field trip.

The academy's primary goal was to help the students acclimate to outdoor environments. The real wilderness training would come during future excursions.

On a ledge midway up Mt. Chimney, the first-year battle class was resting.

Since there wasn't any pressure, the students relaxed in groups, chatting and laughing among themselves.

Johan sat on a rock, watching Gastly with a helpless expression.

"I already told you, yes, Nurse Joy used a machine to remove the 'Toxic Orb.' If it wasn't removed properly, it would've caused further harm to Camerupt."

Johan emphasized the word "yes."

"Ka-kah?"

Gastly tilted its head, giving Johan a skeptical look.

Then why did you throw away your gloves yesterday?

"Why wouldn't I throw out gloves that handled the 'Toxic Orb'?" Johan countered.

Gastly seemed to hesitate.

"Ka-kah?"

Really?

"Otherwise, how about you give it to me, and I'll return it to Steven?"

Seeing Johan's outstretched hand, Gastly huffed indignantly.

It doesn't matter how it came to me. I licked it, so now it's mine!

Gastly puffed up, looking very resolute.

Seeing this, Johan chuckled.

Alright then, next time I'll get you some 'Black Sludge.'

"Let's have a battle, classmates!"

Suddenly, a boy with a slight air of arrogance stood up, clutching a Pokéball, and loudly suggested a battle.

To his surprise, a few classmates eagerly responded.

Thus, an impromptu class battle began, with enthusiasm running high.

"Teacher Johan."

To Johan's surprise, Flannery, normally so competitive, approached him instead of joining the battles.

"Hmm?"

Looking up, he saw her looking slightly embarrassed. Finally, after a moment's hesitation, she quickly thrust a thin book into his hands and hurried away.

"This is from my grandpa. He said it's a thank-you gift."

"Ka-kah?"

Gastly floated closer, curious.

'Ghost Fire Techniques'?

Is this also for me?

Gastly stretched out its tongue toward the book.

"Stop!" Johan quickly pulled the book away. "This is a book, not food. It's definitely not a 'Toxic Orb.'"

Thankfully, he was quick enough, or Gastly would have left its "mark" on the book.

Gastly laughed awkwardly.

I was just testing...

Johan rolled his eyes at Gastly and flipped open the book for a quick look.

Handwritten notes like these were different from regular TM records. They contained personal insights and experiences from a Trainer's use of a move, and how much one could learn from them depended on the Trainer's and the Pokémon's understanding.

Flannery's grandfather, Mura, was once one of the Elite Four of the Hoenn region, specializing in Fire-type Pokémon. His expertise in raising Fire-types was undoubtedly top-tier in the Pokémon world.

"Will-o-Wisp," in particular, was a Fire-type move, and Mura's understanding of it would far exceed Johan's or Gastly's.

Johan began reading the first page.

"Will-o-Wisp is still fire. Rather than calling it 'ghost fire,' it's more appropriate to call it 'strange fire'..."

"The fur from a Ninetales' tail, the wick from a Chandelure, Cubone's bone powder..."

Seeing these materials listed, Johan felt a headache coming on.

According to the notes, these ingredients could help Pokémon better master the move "Will-o-Wisp."

But as Johan read further, it started feeling like things were getting a bit... unconventional.

Especially the last one: Salamence's X gland!

Is this really legitimate advice? Did the old man actually try this?

But next to him, Gastly's eyes were shining, clearly intrigued and eager to experiment.

Johan quickly flipped through the book.

Fortunately, the rest of it gradually became more normal, detailing the techniques and experiences for training a Pokémon to use "Will-o-Wisp." Johan found the information to be quite helpful.

After finishing a quick read-through, he felt he had gained a deeper understanding of how to train Gastly in using "Will-o-Wisp."

Once this stage of training is complete... perhaps I'll register as a league-certified Trainer with Gastly.

As he mused on this, Johan heard a voice in the distance.

"Skarmory, use Wing Attack!"

A Skarmory clad in silver armor swooped down from the sky, its gleaming wings striking the opponent with a heavy blow.

Johan hadn't expected Steven to join the battles too.

With his strength, taking the top spot in the first-year battle class should be a simple matter.

However...

Johan narrowed his eyes.

"Using a Skarmory that knows moves like that... this battle seems a bit 'wasted,' doesn't it?"