章節 124: Vulpix: Charming Everyone, Young and Old!
When Nidoqueen used "Thunderbolt," her Pokédex entry appeared in Johan's field of vision:
[Nidoqueen]
[Type: Poison, Ground]
[Ability: Sheer Force]
[Moves Known: Superpower, Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch, Tail Whip, Fury Swipes, Mega Punch, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Thunderbolt, Surf, Earthquake…]
[Mood: Sad, Jealous (Don't let me see anything lovey-dovey in front of me!)]
[Condition: Excellent (Despite her bad mood, her overall condition is top-notch.)]
[Friendliness: 5 (You should be grateful you're a single dog.)]
Johan: "…"
One thing's for sure: Giovanni's Nidoqueen is a true "move encyclopedia"!
She had practically learned every move available and appeared to wield them with impressive mastery.
As for her "Sheer Force" ability, it was the perfect fit for Pokémon like Nidoking and Nidoqueen.
[Sheer Force: Boosts the power of moves with additional effects, but those additional effects are nullified.]
For example, Nidoqueen's "Thunderbolt" had a chance of causing paralysis, but with "Sheer Force," that chance was eliminated, and the move's power was boosted instead.
A common tactic was pairing this ability with the "Life Orb" item.
[Life Orb: Increases the power of moves by approximately 30%, but each use drains about 10% of the user's health.]
When "Sheer Force" and "Life Orb" are combined, the boosted power cancels out the Life Orb's side effect, making for an incredibly potent "Sheer Force Life Orb" strategy.
With the vast movepool of Nidoking and Nidoqueen, they were once the rage in competitive play.
Clearly, Giovanni raised this Nidoqueen with that strategy in mind.
So this Nidoqueen was powerful—very powerful!
She might not be one of Giovanni's main Pokémon, perhaps not even in his primary lineup, but Johan estimated she was likely stronger than many Gym Leaders' main Pokémon.
However… her "mood"… was a real concern.
The way she reacted to the pair of Golbat just now made that very clear.
No wonder even Giovanni found her difficult to manage.
This wasn't merely a case of heartbreak; her romantic disappointment had led to a series of obsessive thoughts, and possibly, to mental health issues.
Giovanni must have warned her not to attack Johan when he sent her over, or Johan might be lying there by now.
Rubbing his temples in frustration, Johan looked at Nidoqueen. It was clear she wouldn't be easy to talk to.
After thinking for a moment…
"Vulpix."
Johan, squatting on the ground, beckoned to the little Vulpix.
"Oowu?"
Vulpix scampered over to him.
"Give her a couple of energy cubes," Johan said, handing her two cubes.
"Owuh?"
Me?
Vulpix blinked in surprise.
"Don't worry, she's only bitter about couples. At worst, she might get a bit annoyed with males. You're so cute, she wouldn't touch you."
Johan had confidence in Vulpix's charm.
He smiled and added, "And if she does attack, I wouldn't mind having a little showdown with her…"
"Oowu?!"
Vulpix's face lit up with excitement.
Really?!
If we get to battle—
Seeing Vulpix's eager expression, Johan's heart skipped a beat; he knew exactly what she was thinking.
He quickly added, "But let's avoid fighting if we can. After all, she's a 'patient.'"
"Oowu."
Vulpix nodded.
With her tail curling around the energy cubes, she trotted over to Nidoqueen.
"Nido?"
Noticing Vulpix approaching, Nidoqueen lifted her eyelids, her gaze suddenly sharp.
"Vulpix, use Charm."
Johan's voice called out from behind.
Vulpix sat down, moved her tiny front paws, and blinked her large, round eyes mischievously.
"Oowu~ >っ"
The instant Nidoqueen saw Vulpix's charming display, she melted.
"Nido~(=^ェ^=)"
Sure enough, Vulpix's charm worked on everyone—young, old, male, and female alike!
"Oowu~~"
Vulpix offered her the energy cubes.
"Nido?"
After a moment's hesitation, Nidoqueen took one and popped it into her mouth.
"Nido!"
After a few bites, Nidoqueen's eyes began to light up.
It had been some time since she'd eaten properly, and this energy cube was exceptionally delicious.
Vulpix then handed her the second one.
This time, Nidoqueen took it without any hesitation, quickly tossing it into her mouth.
Slowly lowering herself, she looked at the adorable, tiny Vulpix.
"Nido, nido…"
Listen, dear, never trust male Pokémon…
Haunter: "???"
Johan's lips twitched, but seeing Vulpix managing to engage Nidoqueen in a simple exchange, he let out a small sigh of relief.
If they could talk, that was good.
At least it was a start.
"Vulpix, put her to sleep."
Johan's voice came again in a low tone.
"Oowu~~ Oowu~~"
Vulpix softly hummed a soothing melody, her eyes glowing gently with psychic energy.
And since Nidoqueen had little reason to distrust her, she gradually began to nod off to the song.
Slowly, slowly…
Nidoqueen lay down and soon drifted into steady breathing.
Only then did Johan walk over, crouching beside Vulpix, fingers ruffling through her soft fur.
"Let her have a nice, deep sleep… dream of the stars and the sea, of grassy fields, and gently flowing streams…"
Following Johan's guidance, Vulpix intensified her psychic output.
Then, Johan took out a piece of paper. It held several lines of comforting words he had written the night before.
"As your most sincere friend, I hope you'll spend the rest of your life nurturing these five things: confidence that shines on your face, kindness that roots in your heart, courage that flows in your blood, gentleness like a gentle breeze, and resilience engraved in your mind."
This was just one of the lines.
He originally planned to send them to Giovanni, hoping Giovanni could read them to soothe Nidoqueen's injured heart.
Imagining Giovanni reciting them was amusing.
But since Giovanni had sent Nidoqueen over directly, Johan had to "handle" it himself.
However, combining Vulpix's "Dream Hypnosis" made the therapy far more effective.
As Nidoqueen slept, a slight smile began to tug at her lips, forming a gentle curve.
It seemed she was having a beautiful dream.
Psychological obstacles require gradual work, but knowing the source of the issue makes it more manageable.
Johan recalled Nidoqueen into the Luxury Ball, locking it to prevent her from unexpectedly emerging.
With a breakthrough identified, things would be easier from here.
Now, it was just a matter of time.
The bright, round moon hung high, shrouded in a faint, fleeting veil, leaving a trail of sparkling particles in its wake…
The next day, Saturday.
After a week's break, the instructor assessment resumed, now in the Top 16, and the excitement had only grown, with more students pouring into the venue. Even some Kanaz City residents and students' parents came to watch.
The event had attracted media attention as well.
When they entered the Devon-Magma Fuel Arena, cameras were set up everywhere.
This time, Johan's luck wasn't as good—his opponent was Instructor Homi from the Battle Department.
In the audience…
"Mr. Johan, I heard Instructor Homi and Instructor Yuka are close friends."
Roxanne hugged her notebook, looking like she'd done a lot of research.
"I already apologized to Instructor Yuka," Johan said, feeling helpless.
"But I heard she cried over her Bulbasaur for two whole days!"
Flannery chimed in from the other side.
"Instructor Homi said she's here to 'avenge' her friend."
Johan sighed softly.
He glanced at Haunter, who was perched on the railing, practically buzzing with excitement.
"Ka-kah?"
"Well, if they're good friends, they should understand each other's 'pain' first, right?"
"Ka-kah!"
Haunter rubbed its hands together, baring a wicked grin.
"Oh look, it's Officer Jenny!"
"So many Officer Jennys!"
"Did someone commit a crime to warrant all these Officer Jennys showing up?"
"…"
The sudden arrival of a team of Officer Jennys and police officers created quite a stir at the venue.
But the Officer Jennys were all smiles, chatting and laughing, so people relaxed.
After they settled in, two police officers took out a banner with serious expressions, unrolling it slowly.
"Go, Instructor Johan!"
The banner drew a lot of attention.
People who knew Johan looked his way.
They couldn't believe that Instructor Johan was also an "instructor" for the Jennys.
And even if he was, why would so many Officer Jennys show up to cheer him on?
Could it be… that Johan had close ties with the Jenny family?
Johan: "…"
He didn't feel any different than anyone else, but when he saw that banner, his brain seemed to freeze for a second.
Don't you all have jobs to do?
What
Johan didn't realize was that these Officer Jennys weren't from Kanaz City. They'd managed to get a brief vacation and, with time to spare, naturally came to support him.
After a brief study session with Johan yesterday, they'd compiled their notes into a report that had caused a major stir within the Jenny family.
As the first to learn this tactic, they'd naturally become Johan's loyal fans.
Their presence added a touch of excitement to the arena, but it didn't disrupt the assessment.
While waiting his turn, Johan sat in the audience with Vulpix in his arms, quietly observing the battles.
Today's assessment was in a 3v3 rotation format, making it far more engaging than the first round.
But to Johan…
"Honestly… not even half as entertaining as my 'patient' match…"
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