"A Keen Eye for Talent!"

Kanaz Sea Beach.

Knowing Leon's legendary "sense of direction" (or lack thereof), Johan wasn't surprised when the headmaster quickly dispatched someone to pick Leon up. This small gesture spared Johan's precious (training) relaxation time.

While being driven to the academy, Leon called his mentor, Mustard.

"Yo, Lil' Leon!" Mustard greeted, expertly maneuvering his game controller on the Isle of Armor.

"Master, I met Johan-sensei today," Leon said earnestly.

"Oh? And how'd it go, hmmm?" Mustard chuckled knowingly, fully aware that Leon wouldn't pass up the chance to challenge Johan in a battle.

"I lost," Leon admitted with a sigh. "The gap was enormous."

Even though Johan claimed the "Eevee" wasn't his Pokémon, Leon couldn't entirely believe it.

"Hmm?"

Mustard paused his game, his interest piqued.

Leon wasn't one to exaggerate or back down. For him to openly acknowledge a significant gap in strength...

"Johan's that strong?" Mustard murmured, tugging on the brim of his hat as he rose to his feet. His tone shifted from curiosity to excitement.

"Yeah," Leon replied, his admiration clear. "Not just strength—his bond with his Pokémon runs incredibly deep. Johan-sensei respects their individual wills and focuses on raising a few exceptionally well-trained Pokémon. He only has four in total."

"Four?"

While it wasn't unheard of for trainers to focus on a select few Pokémon—quality over quantity—reaching Johan's level with such a small team was rare.

"By the way, Master, Johan-sensei agreed to your invitation," Leon added.

Hearing this, Mustard chuckled.

"Good, good. Tell Johan to come by soon, will ya? Ol' Mustard's getting bored here!"

Back at the café, Johan sneezed, rubbing his nose.

"Catching a cold from the sea breeze? That's odd."

With his cold resistance, he doubted even sleeping in the snow would faze him.

"Meow~~"

Mew happily played with the music box Johan had given it, a ceramic trinket adorned with a spinning Vulpix figurine that turned as it chimed.

It loved the little gift, and Johan had also bought three more trinkets from the beachside stalls just to keep Mew entertained.

Afterward, Johan took his Pokémon to the supermarket to stock up on snacks and dinner ingredients. It didn't take long for him to realize just how Mew had put on weight.

The moment they got home, Mew plopped onto the couch, cracked open a soda bottle larger than itself, and started guzzling it down.

Johan watched as its chubby belly swelled like a balloon, only for it to deflate moments later after Mew let out a contented burp.

"Hic—meow~~"

Johan pinched the bridge of his nose.

Great. He'd officially turned Mew into a couch potato.

While it was undeniably cute, the thought of Mew running into Mewtwo in this state...

Yeah. That'd require some damage control.

He also took precautions to ensure that Vulpix and the others didn't pick up Mew's habits. After all, if Vulpix got chubby enough to resemble a Glameow...

Dinner that night was a grand feast. Mew ate until it was practically rolling across the floor, thoroughly enjoying every bite.

Afterward, Johan decided to take the group for an evening stroll along the riverside to walk off the meal.

The moment they arrived, the Pokémon were captivated.

The gentle murmur of the river blended with the soft glow of fireflies flitting about, creating a scene straight out of a storybook.

"Meow~"

Mew was familiar with fireflies, having seen them often around the World Tree, but the others were mesmerized.

"Ka-kah~~"

Gengar, however, had other ideas. It gleefully flew toward the fireflies, snapping them up one by one like candy.

"啾?"

"吼呜?"

Tinkatuff and Dragonair tilted their heads in confusion, watching Gengar with curiosity.

Satisfied with its haul, Gengar put on its sunglasses and struck a pose, its body now glowing faintly from the consumed fireflies.

The sight sent the others into peals of laughter, including Mew, who rolled on the ground, clutching its sides.

"Meowmeow!"

Johan, though, couldn't resist bursting Gengar's bubble.

"Ahem. Gengar, there's an old saying where I'm from: 'Fireflies thrive on decay.'"

Gengar froze mid-pose, its eyes wide in horror.

"Ka-kah?! Σ(дlll)"

With a dramatic wail, it spat out every last firefly it'd eaten, sending the rest of the group into hysterics.

The next morning, Johan woke to find Mew gone.

He wasn't surprised. As much as Mew enjoyed visiting, its bond with the World Tree meant it couldn't stay away for too long.

He could only hope he'd made Mew's short visit enjoyable.

Later, Johan received a call from the headmaster.

"Johan, I heard you accepted Mustard's invitation?"

"Uh, yeah. Sort of," Johan replied.

"Great news!" The headmaster's laughter boomed over the line. "We've already booked you a first-class ticket to Galar."

Johan blinked.

First-class? Already booked?

"Don't worry about the costs," the headmaster added. "The academy encourages its staff to pursue opportunities like this. It's all in the name of improving our teaching quality!"

Hanging up, Johan couldn't help but marvel.

Publicly funded travel...

Maybe he could even snag a Dynamax Band while he was there and charge it to the academy.

After a long flight, the plane finally began its descent into Galar's Wyndon City.

The sprawling metropolis, filled with towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, rivaled Hoenn's Rustboro City in grandeur.

As Johan exited the airport, a Jeep screeched around a corner, drifting sharply before heading straight for him.

----------

Powerstones?

For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates