บท 144: Haunter, the “Double Agent” (BONUS)
"Congratulations, Professor."
Steven, Roxanne, and Flannery appeared in the corridor leading away from the arena.
"Just a bit of luck," Johan replied with a bright, humble smile.
For him, every win past the quarterfinals was a bonus, and he felt no pressure at all.
"But seriously, Professor, how exactly did you train your Tinkatuffk?" Flannery mumbled, her curiosity piqued.
How?
Johan pondered for a moment.
The formula was simple: feed it energy cubes, spar occasionally with strong Pokémon, and maintain a consistent training regimen.
Of course, the energy cubes might've been made from a certain future champion's guidebook on cube crafting—refined with the assistance of a top-tier Coordinator.
The sparring partners? Well, nothing special—just some Pokémon owned by trainers ranked among the world's top ten.
And then there was Tinkatuffk's natural talent...
"Hmm... Eat well, read often, avoid snacking, and get plenty of rest," Johan finally replied.
Flannery: "???"
Steven and his Skarmory exchanged glances.
The metallic bird gave a deliberate nod, its feathers clinking softly.
"Skree."
Got it. When I grow younger, I'll train just like that.
"Grow younger?" Johan's expression turned peculiar.
What an oddly specific concept.
Steven chuckled. "Professor, why not let Tinkatuffk help repair Skarmory? It seems eager to try."
Johan raised an eyebrow. "You're sure about this?"
"Absolutely."
"...All right, if you insist."
Training Ground Shenanigans
In a spacious outdoor training field, Tinkatuffk was practically bouncing with glee.
"Chu~~"
Standing beside it was Haunter, cackling mischievously.
Both were wearing makeshift "metal wings" fashioned from thin silver plates—plucked directly from Steven's Skarmory.
Skarmory's mournful cries echoed in Johan's mind as he recalled how Tinkatuffk gleefully plucked off the plates, like harvesting ripe fruit.
It was a good thing Steven firmly believed in Tinkatuffk's "repair skills," or Johan wouldn't have let the hammer-wielding menace run wild.
Nearby, Vulpix sat with its fluffy tail curled around itself, watching the scene unfold with evident concern.
"Oowu~~"
Falling from that height would hurt, wouldn't it?
Meanwhile, Johan, seated under the shade of a tree, closed his notebook.
Seeing the sun beginning to set, he felt a sudden burst of playfulness.
"Vulpix!" he called.
"Oowu?"
The little fox turned its head, curious.
But before it could react, Johan darted over with quick, playful steps.
"Oowu!＼(□ l|l)/"
With a startled yip, Vulpix tried to back away but was swiftly scooped into Johan's arms.
Flipping the Pokémon over, he went straight for its soft belly, giving it an exaggerated rub rub rub!
"Oowu~~ (`)"**
Eyes half-lidded in bliss, Vulpix resigned itself to the ultimate betrayal.
The peaceful moment was short-lived, as a looming shadow fell over them.
Johan looked up to see Haunter grinning wickedly above, its oversized tongue lolling out as it hovered like a mischievous specter.
"Ka-kah! Ψ(｀▽´)Ψ"
Johan's face paled.
"Haunter, let's talk about this—"
But the shadow swooped down mercilessly!
Nearby, Tinkatuffk crouched, watching the scene unfold with gleaming eyes.
Then, it smirked.
Lowering its hammer to the ground, it positioned itself like a sprinter at the starting line, ready to launch.
Having just escaped Haunter's "Shadow Smash," Johan turned to see Tinkatuffk's stance and felt his heart skip a beat.
"Tinkatuffk, wait! Don't do anything rash—"
"Chu!"
Here I come!
With a mighty push, Tinkatuffk launched itself forward.
"Haunter, call Nurse Joy—AHHH!"
Post-Rampage Recovery
By the time Tinkatuffk tackled Johan, the sun was dipping below the horizon, and a gentle drizzle had begun.
Clutching his chest, Johan groaned. It felt as though he'd been hit by a runaway truck.
Above him, Vulpix balanced a leaf on its head, pretending it was a makeshift umbrella.
When they finally made it back home, the rain magically stopped.
Johan headed to the kitchen, cutting up a plate of apples.
"Have some fruit while we think about dinner," he announced.
Ghosting down from the ceiling, Haunter immediately made its preference known.
"Ka-kah!"
Barbecue! Outdoors!
The open-air grilling session back in Sinnoh had left a lasting impression—though that memory was marred by Garchomp stealing most of its meat.
This time, Haunter had plans to take photos and send them to Cynthia—just to annoy Garchomp.
"Fine, barbecue could work," Johan mused.
Haunter grinned smugly.
"But you could've just asked, Haunter. It's not like I'd say no."
He glanced sideways, catching Haunter hovering near his shoulder.
The Haunter on the ceiling dissolved into a fading illusion.
"Playing with Double Team again?" Johan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Grinning, Haunter reached out with its tongue and snatched half the apple slices from the plate.
"Ka-kah!"
Meanwhile, Vulpix was curled into a fluffy ball midair, surrounded by a faint glow of psychic energy.
Johan's eye twitched.
Every time Vulpix meditated like this, he felt an inexplicable urge to grab it and squish it like a marshmallow.
Surely no other Pokémon meditated as adorably as Vulpix.
"Tinkatuffk, any dinner ideas?" Johan asked, turning to the hammer-wielding Pokémon.
Tinkatuffk was doing one-handed push-ups, occasionally popping an energy cube into its mouth between reps.
"Chu~~ (`)"
It didn't even pause.
Now it was showing off, balancing on one finger while its feet held up its giant hammer.
Johan pinched the bridge of his nose.
They're so self-motivated, I barely feel like a trainer.
Still, it was less about strict training and more about letting them enjoy what they loved—whether it was Vulpix building snowmen, Tinkatuffk smashing things, or Haunter licking people.
If nothing else, it validated his "Interest-Based Training Method."
"All right, since no one's suggesting anything, dinner will be... sticky rice balls!"
"Ka-kah?!"
Haunter's cry of indignation echoed through the house.
What happened to democracy?!
Dinner Hijinks
That night, they set up a small fire on the rooftop.
Tinkatuffk took it upon itself to use scraps from their old smashed sofa as fuel, while Haunter gleefully took selfies with its food—oily fingers and all.
It even sent one to Cynthia, who responded with a video of Garchomp roaring in anger.
"Ka-kah!"
Satisfied with its success, Haunter floated in victory circles.
However, when Johan's phone buzzed with a message, Haunter tensed, quickly stashing its phone.
Johan glanced at it, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Haunter broke into a nervous sweat.
Was he catching on?
Before Johan could press the matter, his phone chimed again.
[Dragon Envoy]: Johan, I need your help with something.
Lance?
Curious, Johan opened the attachment.
It was a video file titled [Red Gyarados.avi]
In the video, a terrifying crimson Gyarados lay defeated in a massive ice structure, surrounded by frozen waves.
It was clear the Gyarados had been subdued, but its immense power was still evident.
[Dragon Envoy]: Its emotions are unstable. I've captured it, but whenever it leaves its Pokéball, it goes on a rampage. I can't even communicate with it properly.
Johan furrowed his brow.
Another mess involving Team Rocket?
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Powerstones?
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