Just Here for Three Things

"Ka-kah~~"

In the free training grounds behind the Pokémon Center, Haunter moved like a shadow, appearing and disappearing from one spot to another, reappearing occasionally on the branches of a nearby tree.

It seemed almost like it was running on adrenaline.

And to some extent, it was. After receiving the Spell Tag, Haunter's ghost energy was surging, giving it what felt like an endless supply of energy.

Haunter darted over to Vulpix and Tinkatink, who were focused on the TM machine.

Grinning mischievously, it laughed, "Ka-kah!!"

Your emperor of fear is back!

"Oowu—" Vulpix glanced up, her eyes glowing softly as she conjured a transparent wall in front of Haunter, squashing its face flat against it.

"Ka…kah?"

Haunter's hands slapped against the invisible barrier, letting out a dull thud.

"Oowu~" Vulpix relaxed her gaze, dissipating her Reflect wall.

Although she had successfully learned Reflect, it was clear she had not fully mastered it yet.

But picking it up in a single morning was still a testament to her talent.

Tinkatink, however, watched the exchange with complete bafflement, not yet grasping the trick.

Johan chuckled as he approached, giving Vulpix a pat on the head and lifting Tinkatink up.

"You're both doing great."

Learning Reflect was only a stepping stone in Johan's training plan for Vulpix, much like Haunter learning Shadow Punch had been.

Mastering Reflect would prepare her for eventually learning Aurora Veil, a move that would serve as her primary defensive skill.

As for Tinkatink, it was still young.

Not mastering it right away was perfectly fine. Johan even found himself a bit relieved—he could buy TMs at a more gradual pace.

Most trainers worry that their Pokémon learn moves too slowly. Johan, on the other hand, worried that his Pokémon might be learning too quickly, given the strain it put on his wallet.

He sighed, feeling a bit resigned to his fate.

And as Johan turned to leave with Haunter, Vulpix, and Tinkatink in tow, he didn't notice that a small golden exclamation mark appeared over Tinkatink's head.

Swinging its hammer with a newfound sense of accomplishment, it created a small, transparent wall behind Johan—one slightly smaller than Vulpix's Reflect.

Tinkatink's eyes shone with understanding, though it frowned a bit.

Why was my wall smaller…?

At the entrance to the Rustboro Gym, Johan found himself face-to-face with the person he had arranged to meet: Cynthia…along with a heavily disguised Roxanne.

"What made you decide to take on the Gym?" Cynthia asked, clearly curious. "Are you planning on entering the Ever Grande Conference?"

The Ever Grande Conference was an annual tournament in Hoenn, open only to trainers who had collected all eight regional badges. It was one of the more prestigious events in the region.

For Cynthia, though, both Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference and Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Conference held little appeal.

Johan chuckled.

He was about to explain when Cynthia muttered, "Though, I suppose a million-Pokédollar prize isn't that impressive…"

Roxanne chimed in, "I heard this year's prize pool has gone up. There's also supposed to be a rare TM and some valuable items?"

Huh?

Johan's ears perked up.

He cleared his throat.

"No, no, I'm just here to test out Haunter and see how strong it's gotten."

Gyms served as an official way to evaluate a trainer's skill, with Gym Leaders adjusting their approach based on each challenger's strengths and weaknesses. Trainers who passed the Gym Leader's test were eligible to receive a badge, though winning wasn't always necessary—sometimes, simply gaining the Gym Leader's approval was enough.

Occasionally, Gym Leaders even gave out TMs related to their Gym's specialty.

For example, the Rustboro Gym Leader would sometimes award the moves Rock Tomb or Dig.

Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.

"If it's just to gauge your Pokémon's progress, Roxanne and I could help out as well," she offered, "and I doubt Roxanne would mind either."

They happened to have some free time on their hands.

Johan's eye twitched slightly.

"Well, if I need help, I won't hesitate to ask," he said.

He wanted to increase Haunter's battle experience, not make it a practice target for them.

Besides…

Cynthia's Garchomp was one of his best methods for keeping Haunter in line. Best not to use it lightly.

In large cities like Rustboro, Gyms often served as entertainment venues where people could buy tickets to watch battles, making them an appealing way for residents to pass the time.

Rustboro Gym, being in a major city, was particularly popular, with the stands packed almost every day.

This was also a key source of revenue for the Gym.

Currently, in the back room of Rustboro Gym, Roxanne was sitting with her legs crossed, reviewing the day's list of challengers.

It included a dossier for each trainer, with information on their Pokémon, tactics, past achievements, and the number of badges they had collected.

Armed with this knowledge, the Gym Leader could better assess each challenger's abilities.

As an experienced stand-in for her father, Roxanne had filled in multiple times when he was away on business.

It served as a valuable learning experience for her, especially since she was likely to inherit the Gym one day. Given the recent Academy Festival and her vacation time, she had been the acting Gym Leader for a while and had done a commendable job so far.

She was competent enough, with solid knowledge and a respectable level of skill.

"Hmm?"

Scanning through the list, Roxanne's eyes widened at a familiar name.

Rubbing her eyes, she quickly sat up straight.

"Mr. Johan?"

Why was Mr. Johan challenging the Gym?

Her expression grew serious.

She had seen Johan's tactical prowess firsthand, and it far outstripped her own!

And Haunter's strength had been clear during the Academy's Tower Climb competition, where it single-handedly defeated ten opponents in a row with energy to spare.

Do I even have the skills to assess Mr. Johan's abilities? she wondered.

"Acting Leader Roxanne, everything's ready," a Gym staff member informed her, signaling that the next challenger was ready.

"Prepare a bit more," Roxanne instructed. "Get my father's special Pokémon ready as well."

The staff member looked surprised.

Did they have an especially tough challenger today?

But he didn't question her, simply nodding in response.

"Understood…"

"Haunter's in high spirits," Cynthia observed, watching the ghostly figure dart around Johan.

When was Haunter not in high spirits?

"Ka-kah!"

Haunter flashed a devilish grin, ready to wreak havoc.

Today, it had three goals for the Gym.

Wipe them out. Wipe them out. And wipe them out again!

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Powerstones?

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