The Autumn Outing (Part 1)

"Ka-kah!!"

"I am fear! I am the end of the world!"

Gulp gulp gulp—

With a giant gulp, Gastly downed a large mouthful of "Moomoo Milk."

Johan watched this scene with exasperation. If only he could hit Gastly, he'd definitely give it a flick on the head. Unlike other Gastly, which were lethargic during the day and lively at night, his Gastly snored louder than him at night and became incredibly hyperactive by morning.

Completely oblivious to Johan's glare from behind, Gastly continued clutching the half-full bottle of "Moomoo Milk" in its gaseous hands, eyes gleaming as it glanced at the three boxes stacked in the corner. Gastly felt like this was peak happiness—true bliss in its ghostly life.

"Alright, alright, there's going to be plenty of tasty treats from now on," Johan said, bread hanging from his mouth. He casually grabbed a bottle of Moomoo Milk from the box, opened it, and took a sip.

His eyes brightened.

He had to admit, the flavor was really good—sweet but not too rich, with an added refreshing effect. No wonder so many trainers and Pokémon were crazy about this milk.

"Ka...kah."

Gastly stared blankly at Johan.

M-m-my milk…

Noticing Gastly's mournful gaze, Johan paused and then sheepishly replied, "Uh, I was in a rush this morning and didn't have time to make breakfast, so I drank one bottle. I'll make it up to you with a whole box next time, okay?"

"Ka-kah..."

Hopefully...

Johan hoisted a small black backpack onto his back, opened the door, and headed out.

Today was the academy's planned autumn outing. Since they would be gone for several days, Johan had spent the entire morning preparing for the trip, leaving no time for breakfast.

Though his backpack looked small, it was packed with plenty of items, including a tent in case they needed to camp. In the world of Pokémon, space-compression technology was highly advanced.

From Poké Balls to backpacks, the technology had become quite sophisticated. Even Johan's seemingly unremarkable, lightweight bag could hold a lot of things.

"Ka-kah~~"

Gastly quickly finished off the remaining milk and floated after Johan.

Rustboro Pokémon Academy

Several well-kept buses were already parked at the entrance to the academy. While students hadn't arrived yet, many of the teachers were waiting.

"Mr. Johan."

A muscular middle-aged man with a buzz cut and a tight vest approached Johan with a smile.

"Mr. Dolf."

Johan responded with his standard smile, nodding in acknowledgment.

This brawny man was Dolf, the homeroom teacher for first-year Class 1 in the battling department. Dolf was once quite well-known, having participated in numerous tournaments, including the Ever Grande Conference, though his rankings weren't particularly high.

"Ms. Saiko, Ms. Shelly," Johan greeted the two female teachers who were joining them.

Both responded politely. Saiko seemed familiar with Johan and greeted him warmly, while Shelly appeared more reserved.

But Johan didn't mind—he preferred Shelly's cold indifference. The less attention he got from her, the better.

He had no intention of getting on Team Aqua's radar.

"Here are the travel itineraries and some important reminders," Dolf said, handing over several sheets of paper to the three of them. He went on to briefly explain the details before smiling, "I hope we can have a smooth collaboration."

The four of them were the teachers in charge of Class 1's autumn outing from the battling department.

Soon, the students began arriving.

Johan's task was simple: checking off the names of students as they boarded the bus.

"Mr. Johan!"

"Mr. Johan, I didn't expect to see you here!"

Steven and Roxanne, who arrived together, were visibly surprised upon spotting Johan.

Johan stared at Steven for a few seconds. Seeing that his surprise seemed genuine, Johan abandoned the idea that Steven might have influenced the arrangement.

It appeared that Johan's participation in the autumn outing was purely the academy's decision—a stroke of bad luck that placed him in the mix.

"Get on the bus," Johan waved them aboard.

The two quickly complied.

But just as Steven was about to board, Johan suddenly called out, "Steven, thanks."

Steven paused for a moment, then quickly caught on, flashing a bright smile. "I should be the one thanking you, Mr. Johan."

Roxanne looked confused, but Johan and Steven both understood.

The rapid rise in popularity of Johan's academic paper, even earning a comment from Professor Oak, was no accident. Someone had definitely "boosted" it, and the one responsible was undoubtedly Steven.

Of course, Steven hadn't blindly boosted the paper—he'd read it first and believed it was insightful and innovative. Otherwise, even with a spike in attention, the hype would have fizzled quickly.

Professor Oak's comment only further validated the merit of Johan's research. That was the true reason it gained so much attention.

"Mr. Johan, are all the students accounted for?" Dolf asked from the bus, noticing other buses had already begun to leave.

"One more," Johan replied, scanning the list.

No sooner had the words left his mouth when—

"Wait for me!!"

Clip-clop, clip-clop!

The rapid sound of hooves approached.

A red-haired girl rode up on a flaming pony. It was Flannery and her Ponyta—the last to arrive.

Johan checked off the final name on his list.

The bus slowly pulled away.

Their destination: Lavaridge Town, nestled beneath Mt. Chimney, in the heart of the Hoenn region.

With Rustboro City and Lavaridge Town being quite a distance apart, it would take several hours to get there.

Class 1 wasn't very large, so there were plenty of empty seats on the bus. Johan chose to sit in the back.

This allowed Gastly some room to move around without disturbing others.

Hmm… where's Gastly?

Johan had just settled into his seat when he suddenly realized Gastly was missing.

Meanwhile…

On top of the bus…

"Ka—kah—(too windy!)"

Gastly: (;Д｀)

I'm shrinking…

Johan: "..."

By the time Gastly floated back inside, it had shrunk to two-thirds of its usual size. It grinned sheepishly at Johan.

"Ka...kaah."

As a gaseous Pokémon, 95% of Gastly's body was made up of toxic gas, allowing it to slip into almost any space. But in the face of strong winds, if it couldn't gather enough gas, its body would shrink.

Fortunately, Gastly would be back to its full size after resting for a while.

At least no one had noticed Gastly's blunder. Silently, Johan stuffed the ghost back into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and casually browsed the news.

"Jubilife TV's 'Jubilife Tournament' wraps up as Trainer Cynthia takes the crown. Garchomp dominates with a clean sweep. Video link: ..."

"A massive Graveler discovered outside Mauville City, suspected to be…"

Mauville City?

After dealing with the remnants of Greater Mauville Holdings and the plot against Steven, Johan had become a little sensitive to anything related to Mauville.

"Mauville City isn't too close to Mt. Chimney or Lavaridge Town, though…"

As Johan pondered, he noticed the website's chat feature blinking.

Curious, he opened it.

[Eevee Eats Lettuce]: Feebas seems more energetic after eating the Apicot Berry. (Feebas video attached

"It's good it doesn't mind the sour taste. That makes things a bit easier."

Johan stroked his chin thoughtfully and then replied:

[Grain in the Field]: In that case, try making Pokéblocks or Poffins with Apicot Berries. The effects should be even better. But keep in mind that with only physical treatment, this could take a while—and might cost a lot. Be prepared for that.

Considering the person had casually transferred 20,000 Poké Dollars, they probably wouldn't mind spending a bit more on Pokéblocks.

After a moment, Steven suddenly came over from the front of the bus and sat down next to Johan.

"Mr. Johan, are you planning to go to the hot springs tonight?"