Haunted! (BONUS)

At Rustboro City Pokémon Academy

"Here's the key material for the exam—I've outlined everything for you. I don't want to hear anyone crying over the phone, begging me to bail them out later," Johan said, closing his book with a wide grin.

The students below looked utterly devastated.

Key material?

Yeah, right!

The entire book was marked as "key material"!

Johan-sensei, are you joking?

Why did I even pick this elective?!

"Ka-kah~~"

Gengar's head popped out of the ceiling. It floated down and landed gracefully behind Johan, waving a mournful goodbye to the students.

For Gengar, this class was a goldmine for improving its "Hypnosis" technique.

The students, however, shivered at the sight of its toothy grin and quickly forced smiles.

Rumors had spread like wildfire across campus:

Falling asleep in Johan's Pokémon Psychology class guaranteed you'd have nightmares.

It wasn't until much later that they realized it was all Gengar's doing, supervising them from the shadows.

Outside the Classroom

Stepping into the hallway, Johan squinted at the sunlight and took a deep breath.

"Freedom!" he declared.

With no more lectures to teach, all that remained was the students' final exams, after which his winter vacation would begin.

The academic pressure in the Pokémon world wasn't as intense as some other places, meaning winter breaks were just as long as summer ones—a delight for students and teachers alike.

For Johan, winter break was as eagerly anticipated as it was for his students.

Since Pokémon Psychology was an elective, his work for the semester was done. Until the final exams rolled around, he essentially had a paid vacation!

Could life get any sweeter?

Humming a cheerful tune, he made his way to his office.

In the Counseling Office

Johan had just brewed himself a fresh cup of coffee when Steven walked in.

"Teacher," Steven greeted.

"Coffee?" Johan asked without surprise. Steven often dropped by unannounced.

"Thank you," Steven replied, taking a seat without hesitation.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to discuss with you."

After handing Steven a cup of coffee, Johan sat down, opened his laptop, and glanced through some online counseling messages.

"What's on your mind?" Johan asked, sipping his coffee.

"I was wondering... I'd like to make a TV show," Johan said after a moment's thought.

"A TV show?" Steven blinked. This was clearly outside his realm of expertise.

Although Devon Corporation's industries spanned mining, real estate, energy, and Pokémon items, they had no experience in television production.

Steven quickly pieced it together and asked, "So, you're looking for investors?"

He smiled confidently. "No problem. If it's under 100 million Pokédollars, I can approve it personally. Over that, I'll need to consult the company, but it shouldn't be an issue."

Johan: "..."

Of course, he'd casually mention a "small goal."

"Ahem," Johan cleared his throat. "Investment is part of it, but I also need help with production and distribution—things like directors, casting, and networks."

They exchanged a long, meaningful look. Two of the most dazzling individuals at Rustboro's Pokémon Academy were utterly clueless about TV production.

"Alright, Teacher," Steven said at last. "Send me the script and your general vision. I'll try putting out a tender online to see if we can attract the right people."

Johan sighed.

It wasn't ideal, but it was a start.

If all else failed, he could sell the script—though it wouldn't make nearly as much money.

"By the way, why are you here today?" Johan changed the subject.

Using his aura, he could sense that Steven seemed particularly excited about something.

Steven smiled and pulled out a Luxury Ball.

"I wanted to show you two Pokémon I've been working with."

With a flash of light, a purple, barnacle-like Pokémon appeared in the office.

"Lileep?" Johan tilted his head.

Steven didn't have this Pokémon before...

"Did you find its fossil at the Tree of Beginning?" Johan guessed.

The Tree's crystal defenses often resembled ancient Pokémon like Lileep and Cradily.

Steven nodded. "You're amazing, Teacher. I revived it using a fossil I excavated there."

Gengar, Vulpix, and the rest of Johan's team gathered curiously around the Lileep.

The shy Pokémon immediately retracted into its petals, hiding its face with its pink tendrils.

"A classic case of revival syndrome," Johan observed.

Unlike Lance's Aerodactyl, which had been in hibernation and retained its ancient memories, revived fossil Pokémon like Lileep were essentially newborns.

While they lacked the aggression of awakened ancient Pokémon, their instincts often made it hard for them to adapt to the modern world.

Johan closed his eyes, his aura radiating outward.

"Hmm?"

The Lileep peeked out slightly, its tendrils relaxing.

It sensed something familiar and soothing, easing its nerves.

Through his aura, Johan picked up on its emotions: anxiety, unease, and tension.

He approached slowly, holding out a small energy cube.

"Would you like to try this?"

The Lileep hesitated but eventually extended a tendril to take the treat. It retracted into its petals to nibble, emitting emotions of surprise and delight.

Steven watched in amazement.

"Even when I tried offering it food, it wouldn't eat," Steven murmured.

Teacher really is something else.

Opening his eyes, Johan smiled at the Lileep, which had hidden itself again.

"It's healthy, just timid. It needs time to adjust," he explained.

"Since it's willing to eat, that's a good sign. Bring it back for checkups every few days, and I'll monitor its progress."

Steven nodded, visibly relieved.

Later That Day

With a bag of groceries in hand, Johan reflected on his aura.

"Turns out aura fits my role as a Pokémon psychologist pretty well," he mused.

Unlike his Pokédex, which required Pokémon to use moves to assess their mood, aura allowed him to sense emotions directly.

The Pokédex was still invaluable, offering detailed explanations and causes for emotional states.

But aura...

It's a game-changer for cases like this.

At the Café

Back home, Johan found the Rocket Trio and Wobbuffet cowering behind a tree near the café.

Wobbuffet was reluctantly pushed to the front, sweating bullets.

"What's going on here?" Johan asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

They looked like they'd seen a ghost.

At the sound of his voice, they immediately rushed toward him like moths to a flame.

"Johan-sensei!" they wailed.

Meowth clung to him.

"It's haunted, nya! The café is haunted!"

Haunted?

"Ka-kah..."

Gengar froze, its face pale. The groceries slipped from its hands.

You're a ghost! What are you scared of?!

One of Johan's Poké Balls popped open.

Vulpix leapt onto his shoulder, erecting layers upon layers of Aurora Veil barriers around him.

"Vulpix!" it barked.

Be careful!

Johan sighed, eye twitching at the excessive precautions.

It's just a ghost... Are barriers even effective?

Meanwhile, Tinkatuff gripped its hammer, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Chu~ Chu?"

Where's the ghost? Can I smash it?

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Powerstones?

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