Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 457: So, It’s Just a Tsundere

The distance from Goldenrod City's harbor to New Bark Town's port wasn't short, but Johan wasn't in a rush. He spent his time on the cruise ship eating, drinking, and playing with his Pokémon.

Along the way, he also bought some Johto-region specialties to bring back for Indeedee, Alcremie, and the others.

After spending quite a bit of money and eating to his heart's content, Johan took Gengar and Ninetales to the ship's deck.

There, he noticed something unusual—a large number of tourists had gathered along the railing, gazing out at the sea.

"We're almost there, right?"

"That's right, up ahead is Tentacruel Sea."

Tentacruel Sea?

"Tentacruel Sea is a unique area along certain shipping routes in Johto. It is said to be a gathering place for Tentacruel. If you're lucky, you might see massive schools of them, Rotom!"

Rotom immediately took on its encyclopedia mode, providing Johan with an explanation.

A Tentacruel gathering area?

Johan's expression became a little strange.

Normally, Tentacruel weren't fond of large group gatherings since they had high food demands. Gathering in large numbers would deplete the fish population in the area too quickly.

But there were exceptions.

And that was during their breeding season.

However, during this time, Tentacruel could be quite dangerous—they became highly territorial, and during their mating rituals, fights often broke out, causing rough waves.

As long as there isn't a giant Tentacruel, it should be fine... Johan thought.

Still, Johto's maritime routes had been thoroughly tested and approved, so they wouldn't pass through truly dangerous waters.

This particular cruise ship was large and well-equipped, making it extremely safe. The route was also close to the coast, meaning powerful wild Pokémon were unlikely to appear.

Even if something strong did show up, it probably wouldn't be able to damage the ship.

And besides—

The sailors onboard weren't amateurs.

Because of this, the tourists weren't worried about their safety.

Instead, they were excited, eagerly anticipating the sight of Tentacruel.

"Look! Tentacruel!"

Someone suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the distant ocean surface.

Two red, gemstone-like orbs emerged from the sea, accompanied by gentle ripples across the water.

As the first Tentacruel surfaced, more and more began to appear.

They clustered together, resembling a sea of glowing rubies.

Under the sun's rays, the light refracting off them shimmered beautifully, creating a stunning, colorful spectacle against the backdrop of the glistening waves.

"Ka-kaah..."

Gengar leaned against the railing, staring at the scene with its mouth slightly open.

So many "gemstones"... If only they were real...

Johan's eyelid twitched.

He glanced at Gengar, then looked away, saying nothing.

Because, well... he was thinking the same thing.

As more Tentacruel gathered, the waves began to intensify, and half-meter-high swells gently rocked the ship.

But apart from minor turbulence, the cruise ship remained stable.

At least, Johan and the others on deck didn't feel much of a difference.

"What's that?!"

Suddenly—

Outside the Tentacruel-infested waters, a white streak cut through the waves at high speed.

Upon closer inspection, it was a white dorsal fin.

The moment it appeared, the Tentacruel seemed to panic, causing the surrounding waves to grow stronger.

Then—

Dark clouds gathered overhead, blocking out the sunlight.

The entire area dimmed, as if plunged into twilight.

The next second—

That dorsal fin burst out of the water, revealing a massive Gyarados with blood-red eyes and blue scales!

"Garrr—!!"

A fierce roar echoed across the sea, sending huge waves crashing around it.

Immediately afterward, several more Gyarados leaped out of the ocean, thickening the moist air with their presence.

Above them, thunder rumbled within the storm clouds.

In an instant, raindrops the size of beans poured down in a torrential downpour.

The Tentacruel, seemingly startled by the sudden invasion of Gyarados, turned bright crimson as their gem-like orbs glowed with intensity, sending out invisible shockwaves.

It was clear—

The Tentacruel and Gyarados were about to fight.

"Attention, all passengers! The deck will experience strong winds and waves! Please return to the ship's interior immediately!"

Recognizing the danger, the ship's crew swiftly took action.

Most tourists, already soaked by the sudden downpour, quickly fled indoors.

The sailors, however, remained calm and professional, shouting instructions for everyone to evacuate.

"Sir, please return inside. The storm is about to intensify," a broad-shouldered sailor in a navy uniform said to Johan in a polite yet firm tone.

"Ka-kaah~ (￢з￢)σ"

Ooh, a fight! A fight!

Gengar, a total instigator, clung to the railing, cheering.

Meanwhile, Ninetales' eyes glowed faintly, forming an invisible barrier above them, shielding them from the rain.

The sailor noticed Gengar and Ninetales and immediately realized that Johan was likely a skilled trainer.

Even so, it was his duty to warn passengers.

Johan patted Gengar's head and adjusted his hat.

"Alright, we're heading in."

However, just before turning away, he asked—

"Tell me... Do wild Tentacruel and Gyarados often fight here?"

The sailor hesitated for a moment, then answered—

"No, this has always been Tentacruel territory. You rarely see a Gyarados even once a year."

After a brief pause, he added—

"But recently, Gyarados have appeared more frequently, and fights with Tentacruel have become common—probably over territory."

With his years of experience, the sailor made an educated guess:

"I think the ultrasonic waves released by the Tentacruel during mating season might be agitating the Gyarados from further out at sea."

It was a reasonable explanation.

Johan nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem."

With that, Johan led Gengar and Ninetales back inside the ship's cabin.

Since the cruise ship was large and the fighting Pokémon were far enough away, even if the battle escalated, the ship wouldn't be overturned.

At worst, the waves would get rougher, and the deck would need a good cleaning afterward.

Inside, some curious tourists pressed against the windows, watching the distant battle unfold.

However, as the storm thickened, visibility decreased, and soon, they gave up and went back to other activities.

Then—

"Puri——!!"

Through the sounds of wind, rain, and crashing waves, a faint voice could be heard.

Most passengers ignored it.

But Johan's instincts kicked in.

He turned to Gengar.

Gengar also turned to him.

Then, with a mischievous grin, Gengar took a deep breath and inflated like a balloon, mimicking Jigglypuff's exact shape and mannerisms.

"Pfft—"

Johan, who had just been wondering how Jigglypuff managed to get on the ship, completely forgot about his question and just... laughed.

At that moment, he narrowed his eyes.

Aura Vision!

A wave of blue energy spread outward like a radar pulse.

And soon, he "saw" it—

Out on the stormy deck, Jigglypuff was struggling against the wind and rain...

Its body had inflated, and it was clutching its microphone with its feet, flailing its arms like a swimmer—

But the wind was carrying it away.

Johan let out a long sigh.

"Let's go."

Johan turned around and headed for the deck.

"Sir, it's best not to go outside right now."

Two sailors stood at the tightly shut deck door, one of them stepping forward to warn him.

"Sorry, but... ahem, my Pokémon got blown away."

"Ka-kaah~"

Johan was in the middle of explaining when Gengar casually stuck its head outside and waved at him.

Johan's eye twitched.

One of the sailors hesitated.

A Pokémon getting swept away in these conditions?

In this storm?

If it couldn't swim, then...

The two sailors exchanged glances.

"Sir, the wind and waves are extremely dangerous right now. We'll send a crew to help search, but—"

Johan smiled and cut him off, "No need."

Then, he simply pushed open the door.

Immediately, violent wind and rain surged forward, trying to flood into the cabin—

But Gengar, floating by the entrance, blocked the worst of it.

Johan adjusted his hat, returned Ninetales to its Poké Ball, and tossed another Poké Ball forward.

"Draaa~~"

With a flash of red light, Dragonite emerged in the doorway, instantly shielding them from the wind and rain.

For a moment, it felt like a solid wall had been placed at the entrance.

Dragonite patted its belly happily, seemingly enjoying the weather.

It flapped its wings once, and the gusts of wind pressing against the door scattered.

Johan climbed onto Dragonite's back, securing himself with a simple harness.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonite let out a low, excited trill, flapped its wings again, and soared into the stormy sky.

Gengar latched onto Dragonite's tail, grinning as it turned back to wave at the stunned sailors at the door.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Then, the three of them disappeared into the stormy night.

—

Above the raging sea

The further they flew, the louder the Gyarados' roars became.

The rain grew heavier, the wind stronger, and twisting waterspouts began forming on the ocean's surface.

Johan tapped Dragonite's neck, urging it to move faster before they got struck by lightning.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonite lowered its head slightly, scanning the area.

"Ka-kaah! (Over there!)"

Gengar's sharp eyes spotted the target first.

Up ahead, Jigglypuff was caught in a whirlwind, its small body spinning helplessly like a pinwheel in a storm.

"Puri——!! ε=ε=ε=ε=(﹏)"

Round and round it spun, helplessly flailing its tiny limbs.

"Draaa~"

With a powerful wingbeat, Dragonite dove into the whirlwind, dispersing it instantly.

Jigglypuff was sent flying, flapping its little arms frantically—

Until a pair of arms caught it midair.

Slowly, it opened its eyes...

Only to see Johan smiling down at it.

Jigglypuff's eyes widened.

Its nose scrunched up.

And then—

It clung onto Johan's shirt for dear life.

"Puri!!! (╥﹏╥)"

It had been scared out of its mind!

It refused to let go.

Johan sighed.

Honestly?

With Jigglypuff's luck, even if it had been blown away, it probably wouldn't have been in any real danger.

More likely, the Tentacruel and Gyarados would have been the ones to suffer.

This was, after all, a Pokémon that could casually nap on the outside of an airplane mid-flight.

Of course, fear was still fear.

Johan patted its head reassuringly.

"There, there. You're fine now."

Despite its round, soft appearance, Jigglypuff was lighter than it looked.

And... the texture of its fur was surprisingly comfortable to touch.

Instead of being completely smooth, it had a fine layer of short, velvety fur—

Much like Mew's.

"Garrr!!"

Below them, the Gyarados noticed Dragonite's presence and immediately roared in fury.

"Ka-kaah~"

But before one of the Gyarados could launch a Hydro Pump, it suddenly saw—

A purple blob with a wide, toothy grin floating right in front of its face.

Gengar smirked.

It wagged its fingers playfully—

Then, with a flick of its wrist, it slammed its palm into the Gyarados' face.

Zap!

A sudden burst of ghostly blue lightning flashed—

And the Gyarados' eyes rolled back as it collapsed into the sea.

"Garrr—!!"

The other Gyarados immediately went berserk.

Gengar, unfazed, turned around—

And mooned them.

Then, it slapped its own rear just to taunt them further.

"Garrr!!!"

The Gyarados roared furiously.

"Ka-kaah! (Time to go!)"

Gengar cackled and zipped back toward Dragonite.

Johan shook his head in amusement and patted Dragonite.

"Alright, we're done here. Let's go."

But Dragonite didn't move immediately.

Instead, it looked down at the raging sea, deep in thought.

"What is it?" Johan asked.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonite's wings stirred the air as it gathered wind around itself.

The wind became stronger—more violent.

Its wings glowed white, forming multiple crescent-shaped air slashes that merged into the swirling currents.

Then—

A devastating storm of wind blades shot toward the Gyarados below.

The massive waterspouts that had formed across the sea—

Instantly collapsed.

The waves surged higher, spiraling upwards—

Even the dark storm clouds above seemed to be affected.

Johan blinked in surprise.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

"...That was Hurricane, wasn't it?"

Checking his Pokédex, he saw that Dragonite had officially learned a new move.

[Hurricane]

Flying-Type Move

Power: 110

Effect: A powerful wind attack that may confuse the opponent. Accuracy: 70%.

Under normal conditions, Hurricane had questionable accuracy.

But in rainy weather—

Its accuracy became 100%.

Before, Dragonite's only Flying-type moves were Roost and Air Slash.

Now, it had Hurricane.

And it had learned it in the middle of a storm.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonite was pleased with itself.

Down below, the Gyarados were hurled into the air, caught in the violent updrafts—

And when the storm subsided, they crashed back into the ocean.

Above, the storm clouds parted, and the rain began to clear.

A ray of sunlight shone down upon Dragonite, Johan, and Jigglypuff.

Jigglypuff rubbed its eyes, staring at the beam of light.

To it—

It looked just like...

A spotlight on stage!

"Puri!"

Jigglypuff grabbed its microphone and took a deep breath—

But before it could start singing, Johan clamped a hand over its mouth.

"Puri... ( muffled )"

Its big, round eyes blinked in confusion.

It wanted to be angry—but for some reason, it couldn't.

Johan chuckled.

Releasing his grip, he casually popped a Poké Puff into its mouth.

"Puri! (｀⌒´)"

Rain had passed, and the skies had cleared.

Dragonite carried Johan back to the ship.

What happened outside remained a mystery to the passengers—

But the sailors had witnessed everything.

And they now looked at Johan with deep admiration.

For sailors, strength was worthy of respect.

And Johan, along with Dragonite, had earned theirs.

From that point onward, the rest of the trip was uneventful.

New Bark Town—Harbor

A gentle sea breeze rolled through the town, carrying with it a faint salty tang from the ocean.

Johan stood at the dock, gazing at the cozy little town before him.

"So, what do you think?"

He looked down at the round pink Pokémon in his arms.

Jigglypuff crossed its arms and turned its head away with a huff.

"Puri...(￣^￣)"

It refused to answer.

Johan smirked.

"Alright, fine."

He turned away and began walking—

Only to hear soft little footsteps following behind him.

He stopped.

Jigglypuff also stopped.

He turned around.

Jigglypuff quickly looked away, puffing out its cheeks.

"I see..."

Johan's smirk widened.

Jigglypuff was obviously following him, but it refused to admit it.

It had a "tsundere" problem—too prideful to say it wanted to stay.

And just to keep up the act, it even shot him a "fierce" glare.

Which, in reality...

Looked about as intimidating as an angry marshmallow.

Johan sighed dramatically.

"Alright, alright... Come here."

Before Jigglypuff could react, Johan scooped it up again, cradling it like a plush toy.

"P-Puri!! (⊙Д⊙)"

Jigglypuff flailed its tiny arms, but it didn't actually struggle.

Johan chuckled, squeezing its soft cheeks, molding them into all sorts of weird expressions.

The texture was softer than he had expected.

"Puri!! (#｀皿´)"

Jigglypuff fumed, but again—it didn't actually resist.

Johan smirked.

"Oh, so you're just a total tsundere?"

A new thought crossed his mind.

Maybe...

This little pink puffball could be a perfect addition to his café's lineup.

A "resident singer", perhaps?

—

Professor Elm's Lab

Johan arrived at the New Bark Town Pokémon Research Lab, where Professor Elm worked.

As the door opened, a frazzled-looking man in a lab coat turned around.

"Johan?"

Professor Elm blinked in surprise, spotting the Jigglypuff sleeping soundly in Johan's arms.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar grinned, floating into the room right after Johan.

Johan smiled.

"Professor Elm, sorry to barge in."

"No, no! Not at all!" Elm quickly waved his hands.

"I just wasn't expecting you so late."

The sun had already begun setting, casting a golden glow over the lab.

The room itself was...

A complete mess.

Stacks of papers and books were scattered everywhere.

But Johan wasn't surprised.

After all—

Professor Oak's lab was ten times worse.

As Elm awkwardly scratched the back of his head, a young girl ran into the room, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Johan?! Is it really you?"

Johan turned toward her, instantly recognizing her.

She was Crystal.

Or as she was sometimes called—Kris.

She was about ten years old, with short blue hair and an energetic demeanor.

Elm smiled.

"This is Crystal. She's been helping out as my temporary assistant."

Johan raised an eyebrow.

Crystal? Here?

If he remembered correctly, Crystal was originally from Ecruteak City.

At this age, she should have been training on Mt. Mortar, practicing her Poké Ball throwing technique.

So why was she here, in Elm's lab?

More importantly...

Why was she looking at him like that?

Like an idol-struck fan?

Johan had a hunch.

She loved Pokémon research, right?

And... he was a well-known professor at the Pokémon Academy.

It wasn't hard to guess why she was excited.

"Hello, little Kris." Johan greeted her lightheartedly.

The moment he said "little Kris", Crystal's cheeks turned red.

She clenched her fists, looking both shy and determined.

"Johan! Please let me show you around!"

Johan blinked.

"Show me... around?"

"Of course! The Pokémon that arrived a few days ago!"

Crystal's expression was completely serious—like a dedicated tour guide.

Elm laughed awkwardly.

"Ah... Crystal, I haven't even explained it to Johan yet..."

Then, Elm turned to Johan with a slightly embarrassed look.

"Actually... I was hoping you could help me take a look at a few Pokémon."

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Powerstones?

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