Kapitel 232: For the Greater Good, Kindly Sacrifice Yourself! (BONUS)
"Hello, Johan? Why the sudden call?"
On the other end of the phone came Professor Oak's familiar, cheerful voice.
"Professor Oak," Johan began, taking a deep breath before continuing, "there's a problem with your Pokédex…"
[Pokédex]: (?)
"Oh? A problem? What kind of problem? Tell me about it."
Professor Oak's voice held a hint of surprise.
It wasn't unusual for older models to have bugs, but this was a new version.
Oh right, Johan was the first user. Well, that explains it.
"It's like this…"
Johan briefly described the Pokédex's analysis of Kubfu, especially emphasizing the inconsistencies around the word "justice."
This time, not only had he been tricked by Master Mustard, but he felt like the Pokédex had also deceived him.
"Ah, I see now," Professor Oak mused, sounding thoughtful. "Actually, I obtained the information on Kubfu from Old Mustard…"
Master Mustard had provided input for the Pokédex during his world travels, having crossed paths with Professor Oak along the way.
So, the source of the problem was Mustard after all.
At that moment, Johan heard a new voice on the line.
"Professor Oak, still working? You haven't eaten, have you? I brought some steamed crab—it's the perfect season for it."
It was a woman's voice.
"Oh, Hanako, how thoughtful of you…"
"And Professor, where's Green?" came another voice, youthful and slightly high-pitched, almost baby-like.
"Sorry to interrupt."
Johan ended the call with a curt farewell and a sigh.
Betrayed again.
Back at the dojo.
The small dining table was laden with a variety of dishes, showcasing Honey's impressive culinary skills. Johan couldn't find anything to criticize.
"Professor Johan, would you prefer to pay in cash or card?"
Honey approached with a tray, smiling sweetly.
Johan: "..."
He should've expected this.
The memories of being exploited in-game by Honey were resurfacing, bringing with them a pang of nostalgia.
But Johan quickly remembered something crucial—
This trip was funded by public expenses.
Pulling out a bank card, he declared boldly:
"Honey, charge it to the card!"
Honey's eyes curved into delighted crescents as she pulled out a POS machine, skillfully processing the payment.
POS machines on the Isle of Armor? Truly ahead of her time, Honey.
"Well then, I wish you all a pleasant meal."
While Johan and Mustard enjoyed their lunch, Honey also prepared food for the Pokémon, accommodating their appetites with commendable effort.
However, she had clearly underestimated how much Gengar and the others could eat, keeping her busy running back and forth.
Meanwhile, Mustard's face began to flush as he reached a pleasantly tipsy state.
"Little Johan, hic~~ let me tell you something. You gotta use your Aura properly—like this…"
He wobbled to his feet, hiccuped again, and assumed a forward-facing stance.
His eyes sharpened, and he delivered a punch so swiftly that the air itself seemed to crackle with a dull boom.
"And like this…"
Switching to a stance reminiscent of a one-legged crane, he unleashed a series of rapid punches and kicks at blinding speed.
It was the essence of Single-Strike Style and Rapid-Strike Style.
But…
Johan's expression turned odd.
Perhaps because of Mustard's drunken state, his movements bore an uncanny resemblance to something…
"Lightning Five Whips?" Johan murmured to himself.
"What's that?" Mustard froze mid-motion, having caught Johan's muttered words.
"Lightning Five Whips? Old Mustard's Lightning Five Whips? That's a great name!"
Mustard swayed over to a cabinet, retrieving two scrolls.
One bore a water droplet symbol, while the other featured a half-closed eye.
The secret techniques of Single-Strike and Rapid-Strike Styles?
"This is too valuable!"
Without hesitation, Johan expertly pried open Gengar's mouth and stuffed the scrolls inside for safekeeping.
Mustard waved a hand dismissively.
"Valuable? Not at all. They're just my personal interpretations of the principles of hardness and softness."
Johan had heard of these before—the two primary schools of martial arts philosophy in the Pokémon world.
For example, Bruno adhered to the philosophy of hardness, while trainers like Brawly and Chuck leaned toward softness.
"These aren't as profound as the teachings in the Towers of Two Fists, but they should still be useful to you."
Useful?
That was an understatement—they'd be invaluable for both Tinkatuff and Kubfu.
"Of course, how much you can learn depends on you," Mustard added. "Back in the day, Little Leon got these same scrolls, but he only picked bits and pieces to incorporate into his own style."
Johan nodded.
Every trainer had their own philosophy and approach when it came to raising Pokémon.
The insights he'd gained from texts like Fear Tactics, Dragon Mastery, and Earth's Essence were things he used for inspiration, not imitation.
As the saying goes, "Those who learn from me survive; those who mimic me perish."
"Consider these a token of thanks for taking in that little one."
Huh? A token of thanks?
Was Mustard that eager to get rid of Kubfu? Drunk words are sober thoughts, after all.
Nevertheless, Johan stood up and bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you, Master Mustard!"
Snore~~
Mustard had already flopped onto the floor, snoozing peacefully.
In the afternoon, Johan sat under a beach umbrella, flipping through the scrolls while contemplating training strategies for Tinkatuff and Kubfu.
Kubfu's silky fur and bushy brows screamed martial arts prodigy. Johan wouldn't even be surprised if it suddenly pulled off a Night Guy. (Wait, that's the wrong reference.)
Under Gengar's influence, his thoughts wandered a bit too far.
In any case, whether it evolved into Single-Strike Urshifu or Rapid-Strike Urshifu, Kubfu was fundamentally a physical attacker.
With a base Speed stat of 72, and 97 after evolution, it was even faster than Dragonair and Dragonite.
Its evolution brought about the amazing ability Unseen Fist, which allowed contact moves to bypass protective barriers (except Dynamax shields).
Combine that with its signature moves—Wicked Blow for Single-Strike Style or Surging Strikes for Rapid-Strike Style—both of which had near-guaranteed critical hits.
Pair it with items like Choice Band or Scarf, and its offensive potential was through the roof.
"Maybe… it could even go dual-strike?" Johan mused.
While its Special Attack stat was only 63, it wasn't unheard of. Gengar's Attack stat was similarly low at 65, yet it managed to excel as a mixed attacker.
"Hmm, I'll let Kubfu decide its evolution path."
Bam!
A sudden noise snapped Johan out of his thoughts.
Looking up, he saw Tinkatuff swinging its hammer furiously at a rock.
In the sky above, a Corviknight twitched nervously, instinctively dodging.
But Tinkatuff's aim was true—a rock hurled with perfect precision hit the Corviknight square on the head.
The metal bird plummeted to the ground, dazed.
"Chu—!!!"
Tinkatuff raced forward with glee, pinning the fallen Corviknight with its hammer.
Moments later, Gengar, Vulpix, Dragonair, and Kubfu surrounded the scene.
"Ku~~"
Kubfu's eyes sparkled as it observed.
So that's how it's done!
My old methods of planting trees to claim territory were far too primitive!
This is the power of teamwork!
Kubfu approached the unconscious Corviknight. It clasped its paws together in a gesture of respect and solemnly bowed.
"Ku!"
For the greater good, kindly sacrifice yourself!
Gengar patted Kubfu on the shoulder.
"Ka-kah~~" (No need to sacrifice anyone; we're pacifists here.)
If Johan got mad, none of them would survive his wrath.
Kubfu's expression cleared with understanding.
"Ku!"
For the greater good, I'll pluck its feathers instead!
Rolling up its sleeves, Kubfu joined the others in their "raid."
Watching its new teammates at work, Kubfu smiled.
It already felt like a perfect fit in this squad.
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Powerstones?
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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