Chapitre 127: The 12-Choose-3 Mode?
In an old, abandoned activity square in the town's historic district.
Sitting in a row on an old iron pipe, panting, were Nidoqueen, Haunter, Vulpix, and Tinkatink—from biggest to smallest.
"Ka-kah" (Not bad, big girl.) "Oowu" (Pretty tough.)
"Chu" (Think this pipe might have any good metal if I smash it open?)
Nidoqueen scratched her head and turned away with a soft huff.
"Nido!" (Even if you all compliment me... I won't be happy about it!)
But she couldn't hide the pleased smirk tugging at her mouth.
"Ka-kah."
Haunter chuckled, producing a box from his mouth, which was full of Pokéblocks.
"Oowu?"
Vulpix blinked, staring in disbelief.
No wonder Johan's supply kept running out! You've been hiding them, haven't you?
Haunter passed Pokéblocks around to the Pokémon.
Nidoqueen looked down at the Pokéblock, then back up at Haunter's mouth.
"Nido…" (Is it really okay to eat?)
"Ka-kah~~" (Don't mind if I do.)
But as Haunter reached out to grab some, Nidoqueen reacted faster, stuffing them all into her mouth in one swift gulp.
"Chu-chu."
Tinkatink, cheeks full, chewed in quiet confusion.
She jumped down from the pipe, gripping her hammer and starting to measure out her swing.
A faint rocky glow started to wrap around her hammer as she concentrated.
Then she brought it crashing down.
Bam!
Yet… aside from a noticeable dent in the ground, nothing else seemed to happen.
"Nido, Nido."
Shaking her head, Nidoqueen stepped forward to take Tinkatink's hammer, but her expression shifted slightly as she felt its surprising weight.
Impressed, she quickly handed it back, looking at Tinkatink with newfound respect.
Such a small Pokémon, but so strong…
Without making too much fuss, Nidoqueen cleared her throat and demonstrated a move.
Her arm shot up, swathed in rock-type energy that coiled like a serpent around her fist before she drove it into the ground.
Crash!!
A massive stone spike erupted from the earth beneath her punch.
If Johan had been there, he would have recognized the rock-type move—Stone Edge!
And he'd probably be shocked too.
Nidoqueen wasn't holding back at all, teaching a super high-difficulty move like Stone Edge right from the start. Could Tinkatink even learn it?
And not only Tinkatink.
Haunter and Vulpix, having finished their Pokéblocks, soon had their own questions.
Now, Nidoqueen wasn't exactly dumb, but she wasn't the brightest, either. Just because she could learn something didn't mean she was particularly good at teaching it to others.
Scratching her head, she stood around awkwardly, clearly stumped.
"Nido…" (Guess it's not so easy after all…)
Just then…
A Persian with a spring in its step wandered into their view, followed by a crowd of scrappy-looking stray Pokémon.
Johan's neighborhood was full of wild Pokémon like this—Vulpix had once been one of them, and her timid nature had often made her a target for bullying.
This Persian was the leader of the local strays, known for bullying weaker Pokémon and swiping food to survive.
It had come over with its gang to investigate the noise.
But the moment it locked eyes with the four "smiling" figures in front of it, Persian froze, struck by a bone-deep fear. A cold sweat prickled its fur as it forced an awkward grin.
"Meow, meow!" (S-sorry to intrude!)
Haunter and the others exchanged looks, their "smiles" widening as they waved Persian and its gang over.
"Ka-kah~ kah-kah" (No need to be scared. We're the good guys)
Night fell.
[King of the Earth]: How is Nidoqueen doing?
Johan, feeling a bit like an empty-nester, sat alone on his new couch.
Looking over at his Pokémon playing cards on the living room floor—each one with a little slip of paper stuck to their forehead—he replied to Giovanni's message.
[Grain in the Field]: She's doing well.
Johan couldn't help but wonder if he was a bit unnecessary.
[King of the Earth]: Good to hear (Gengar breathing a sigh of relief emoji)
The lively expression on the Gengar emoji made Johan pause.
Giovanni… did Lady Kikuko possess you?
[King of the Earth]: If you need any extra supplies, or if you're running low on anything, just let me know.
[Grain in the Field]: Oh, not much. Just some extra Pokéblocks, berries, Moomoo Milk, protein shakes, antidotes, potions, candy, some extra groceries...
Even Giovanni took a second to process that long list.
[King of the Earth]: Did you start a war? Against the League?
Is it just me, or does Giovanni sound a little… excited?
[Grain in the Field]: Nah, we just beat up the local stray Pokémon gang, that's all.
[King of the Earth]: Got it.
And with that, Giovanni's icon went dark.
… That's it?
Johan pinched the bridge of his nose.
Honestly, though, Nidoqueen was recovering faster than expected. With her face covered in sticky notes, she looked nothing like the sulking Pokémon who'd first arrived.
Still, Johan could sense that she hadn't fully moved on yet.
A few more days of "Sweet Dream" therapy and some "motivational speeches" should be enough to help her heal.
Glancing over his detailed notes on the computer screen, Johan grinned.
"With these notes, I could pass as a 'Pokémon Relationship Specialist.'"
Looks like I've found a new skill.
It was late.
After guiding Nidoqueen into a peaceful sleep with a special lullaby from Vulpix, Johan finally crawled into bed.
Vulpix stretched luxuriously, snuggled under the blanket, and nestled herself happily around Johan's arm.
Tinkatink, meanwhile, stashed her hammer under the pillow and promptly started snoring, her whole body half-draped over the bed's headboard, head buried in the pillow.
From time to time, her limbs would twitch, reaching out as if for an imaginary hammer, causing the pillow to slide over her nose and briefly block her breathing.
"Ka-kah~~"
Haunter, as always, was semi-attached to the ceiling.
If anyone had looked up, they might've thought Haunter was floating in a hot spring.
"Haunter…"
Barely awake, Johan mumbled as if talking in his sleep.
"Ka-kah?"
"Should I get you a coffin? Can't have you sleeping on the ceiling forever…"
"Ka-kah! Σ(дlll)"
Haunter froze at the word "coffin," but relaxed upon hearing the rest.
Just as he was about to reply, he noticed Johan had already fallen asleep again.
After a moment of surprise, Haunter chuckled quietly and floated down to tuck Johan in, carefully moving Tinkatink's pillow to keep it from covering her nose.
Yawning, he stretched out comfortably.
"Ka-kah~~"
Good night, Makka Pakka~
Sunday
The quarterfinals for Rustboro Academy's Battle Department Instructor Tournament!
There was an even bigger crowd than yesterday, judging from the number of cameras and media personnel on-site.
Banners and support signs were everywhere.
Magnemites outfitted with cameras floated above, capturing every angle of the arena.
Johan clutched Tinkatink tightly, wary that she might suddenly take a swing at one of the Magnemites.
"They really make perfect little cameramen."
But of course, they weren't on the same level as a certain Legendary Pokémon from Johto who was in charge of cameras.
From a distance, he spotted Roxanne, Flannery, and Steven waving him over.
"Got any confidence, Professor?"
As soon as Johan sat down, Flannery leaned in, eyes bright with excitement.
The last remaining non-battle instructor in the top eight, Johan had all of them rooting for him to reach the semifinals.
And it wasn't just them.
Everyone had that look of someone ready for a good show.
After all, the thought of a non-battle instructor making it to the top four was too fun to miss!
"Not really," Johan replied bluntly.
The remaining battle formats included 3-on-3, 6-choose-4 doubles, 6-choose-3 singles rotation, 12-choose-3 rental rotation, and full 6-on-6.
If he drew the 6-choose-4 or the full 6-on-6, he wouldn't even bother trying. He simply didn't have enough Pokémon.
None of the other formats seemed to be in his favor, either.
Before long, the teachers from the administration were out with the draw box and the box of match formats.
Minjiang, the head instructor, pulled out a slip of paper from the format box and smiled as he read it aloud:
"The format for today is—12-Choose-3 Rental Rotation!"
A buzz rippled through the crowd.
12-choose-3 rental rotation?!
If you asked which event was the hardest of all, the answer was undoubtedly 6-on-6.
But if you asked which format demanded the most from a teacher
's knowledge of tactics, Pokémon, moves, and abilities, it was definitely 12-choose-3 rental rotation.
For any instructor in the Battle Department, it wasn't enough just to be a strong battler. Knowing your own Pokémon well was one thing, but knowing Pokémon as a whole was entirely different.
Being able to assess a student's Pokémon and utilize each one's unique strengths? That was the hallmark of a Battle Department instructor.
You'd never see this format in a standard match.
But for Academy Instructor Evaluations, or in the Battle Frontier, it was a classic.
As a wave of excitement swept through the crowd, Steven, Roxanne, and Flannery all broke into smiles.
Roxanne: "This is Professor Johan's wheelhouse."
Flannery: "When it comes to tactics and fundamentals, who can beat him?"
Steven: "Professor Johan's got this in the bag."
With this format, all of them were confident in Johan's chances.
Especially Steven.
In his mind, Johan's strength wasn't so much his raw power but his tactical mastery.
Listening to their enthusiastic support, Johan rubbed his temples.
With all this confidence, I can't help but feel the pressure.
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Powerstones?
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone