บท 178: A Ray of Sunshine (BONUS)
Enough.
With Water Pulse landing like that, what's the point of continuing?
Flygon felt a little aggrieved.
Its strength was unquestionably greater than Dratini's, but even it couldn't withstand repeated facefuls of Water Pulse.
"Driii...?"
Dratini tilted its head, gazing expectantly at Flygon.
Let's go again!
"Johan, your... luck is something else, huh?" The caretaker of the breeding house couldn't help commenting, feeling a bit at a loss.
"Luck?"
Johan twitched his lips.
Since when was he ever considered lucky?
"Driii!"
Dratini didn't see things the same way.
Strong Pokémon never rely on luck!
In truth, the worst part wasn't the triple Water Pulse.
It was the opponent—the oblivious, utterly unaware opponent—who didn't even realize how lucky they were.
Just like how true "lucky charm" trainers never think they're lucky.
Isn't Water Pulse supposed to hit every time?
If anything, three Water Pulses in a row were tame.
True luck masters? They'd lead with seven consecutive hits of Air Slash, cutting down a Magneton resistant to Flying-types and leaving it questioning its existence.
If only Dratini could learn Metronome, Johan would absolutely want to see if it could summon Origin Pulse.
"Shall we stop here?" Johan tentatively asked.
The caretaker nodded.
She turned to Johan. "Did you notice?"
Johan beckoned Dratini over and nodded.
"Dratini definitely needs some work."
The caretaker chuckled.
"That's why I could tell it came from the Dragon's Den. Only in a place like that could it absorb so much pure and potent Dragon energy."
The issue?
Dratini had absorbed an overabundance of this energy.
And the moves it was accustomed to using weren't Dragon-type at all—Water Pulse, Extreme Speed, Thunderbolt, and Icy Wind were its go-to options.
As a result, all that latent Dragon energy had become trapped within its body, unable to be utilized.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
If Dratini evolved, it could potentially use that energy to unlock one or two Dragon-type moves.
But the caretaker felt it would be wasteful to leave such potent energy untapped, relying on evolution alone to convert it into something useful.
Instead, Dratini could be trained to learn a powerful Dragon-type move now, making immediate use of that stored energy.
For example, Dragon Rush—the move Flygon had used earlier.
Dratini had been momentarily entranced when it saw the move, suggesting it might have already begun to grasp its essence.
Dragon Rush was undoubtedly a powerful move, second only to Outrage in terms of base physical damage among non-signature Dragon-type moves.
Its only real downside was its shaky accuracy.
Still, Johan couldn't deny that it felt like another frustrating loop closing in on him.
"This scroll is for you."
The caretaker retrieved an old parchment from her belongings, her expression warm.
"This is...?"
"A guide for learning Dragon Rush. Consider it payment for all the help you've given me today."
Before the invention of TMs, trainers relied on such manuals to teach Pokémon new moves.
In places like the Sevii Islands, for instance, the Ultimate Move Mentor was known to pass down techniques for Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon.
Some scrolls even contained records of long-lost moves, such as Draco Meteor or Sketch.
"I couldn't possibly..."
Johan accepted the scroll in one fluid motion, stuffing it into Gengar's waiting mouth.
"Ka-kah...?"
Though Gengar felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn't a Dragon Dance scroll—it couldn't flaunt its moves in front of Cynthia's Garchomp—Dragon Rush was still a solid consolation.
Not bad.
Massaging its throat, Gengar sauntered back to the group, muttering under its breath:
"Ka-kah..."
Looks like we scored that scroll for free.
"Oowu~~"
That old lady feels powerful somehow. I sense danger.
"Chu?"
Maybe there are rare minerals underground here?
"Driii!" Dratini lifted its head indignantly.
Free? I earned that with my strength, thank you very much!
"Quit mumbling and get back to work!"
Johan's voice snapped them out of their huddle.
He rolled up his sleeves with determination. "We're finishing all the chores today!"
The four Pokémon responded with energetic cries.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Johan and Erika bid farewell to the caretaker.
"Johan, bring Gengar by more often. I like that kid," the old woman said, leaning on her cane.
Gengar flashed a goofy smile, leaning in for a playful nuzzle.
For a moment, Johan couldn't quite pin down the caretaker's background.
Was she connected to the Dragon Clan? The Ultimate Move Mentor of the Sevii Islands? Or perhaps she had ties to Elite Four member Agatha?
After all, it wasn't every day you met someone who genuinely liked Gengar.
"I'll be sure to bring it by again," Johan promised.
Leaving the academy behind, Johan noticed Erika giving him a puppy-eyed stare.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked knowingly.
Erika brightened, a playful glint in her eye. "Something... different."
Something different?
"That won't come cheap."
With an innocent expression, she patted her sleeves.
"I'm broke."
She wasn't offering money, but...
Fine.
It was a match between freeloaders.
"Can you handle spice?" Johan asked.
"Spice? A little."
"Wait here. I'll get the ingredients."
At Johan's new home.
"They're all yours," he said, gesturing to Erika and the Pokémon.
Rolling up his sleeves again, he stepped into the kitchen.
Tonight's plan? Mapo Tofu—a classic dish, perfectly spicy but manageable even for those less tolerant of heat.
The goal? One thing: pure deliciousness.
Meanwhile, Erika wandered through Johan's house.
Though most of his belongings had been moved in, the space still felt a bit bare.
What caught her attention was the color scheme—it was a little too monochromatic.
"Johan, can I borrow these vases?"
"Sure, go ahead."
With his permission, Erika headed to the balcony, pulling out a small pouch from her waist.
Inside was a spatial bag, from which she retrieved an assortment of flowers and plants.
There was even a bow tucked neatly inside!
Smiling, she got to work on her specialty: flower arranging.
Soon, the house was adorned with beautiful, fragrant floral arrangements.
"Ka-kah~~"
Gengar popped up from the shadows, watching Erika work with a curious tilt of its head.
Noticing Gengar, Erika smiled. "What's up, Gengar?"
"Ka-kah~~"
Gengar stuck out its tongue, producing a TM for the move Giga Drain—the one Erika had gifted Johan alongside the Rainbow Badge.
"You want to know how to use it?"
Gengar shook its head, raising a hand to demonstrate a faint green glow. The energy began to spread...
"You already learned it?"
Erika was stunned.
Didn't she just give it to Johan yesterday?
How had Gengar picked it up so quickly?
Though Gengar's execution wasn't flawless, its rapid progress was undeniable.
"Good job, Gengar!" Erika praised, patting its head.
She then patiently explained tips and tricks for improving Giga Drain, including lesser-known techniques to boost its speed and power.
"Time to eat!"
Johan's voice called them to the table.
"Busy?" he asked, noticing Erika and Gengar together.
"Ka-kah~~"
Gengar shot away, leaving Johan with a suspicious look.
Wait...
Wasn't there a tree in the garden earlier?
Sitting down, Erika eyed the bright red dish at the center of the table.
"What's this?"
"Mapo Tofu, a classic from my hometown."
Erika's eyes sparkled as she took a cautious bite. Her cheeks flushed pink, but her smile grew wider.
"This is delicious!"
She eagerly dug in for another bite.
Johan, who had been bracing for her reaction, let out a quiet sigh.
Women—they're impossible to figure out.
If he'd known, he would've added more chili.
Three days later, Johan's café officially opened for business.
He named it "A Ray of Sunshine."
The news spread quickly, and many familiar faces came to congratulate him—including Team Rocket.
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