Pokemon: Psychic Master

A man wearing a black leather jacket, his hair resembling a lion's mane, and a kind smile approached.

"Lysandre, the representative."

It was Lysandre, leader of Team Flare and a representative of the Lysandre Labs.

Everyone present knew him, especially Professor Sycamore, who shared a seemingly friendly relationship with him.

The crowd greeted him, and Lysandre responded with a polite smile, his gaze lingering a little longer on Johan and Alain.

However, he didn't stay long. As one of the sponsors of the competition, he was busy. Before leaving, he invited Johan and the others to have coffee after the event.

Johan initially considered declining, but recalling Diantha's earlier request, he decided to accept.

Afterward, Lorelei suggested they check out the venue. Johan agreed, and the two entered the contestant area while Sycamore and Alain went to greet others they knew.

The competition was held on a snowy mountainside platform. The arena, which seemed to be a battle stage, was repurposed for the event. Three sides were surrounded by spectator stands, while the backdrop was a towering snow-covered mountain.

At the center of the arena stood numerous identical stone pedestals, roughly one meter tall, each serving as a workstation for a contestant and their Pokémon to create their ice sculpture.

On one side of the arena, a team of photographers was busy filming. A bronze-skinned girl stood near one pedestal, appearing distracted.

"Would you like to take a break, Nessa?" one of the photographers suggested, noticing her lack of focus.

"Oh, sure. I'm sorry," Nessa replied, bowing apologetically to the crew before jogging away.

Her path inadvertently brought her near Johan and Lorelei.

As she approached, she realized she might be intruding. Just as she was about to apologize, her light blue eyes lit up.

"Are you… Johan?"

Seeing Nessa dressed so lightly in the cold, Johan resisted the urge to ask, Aren't you cold? Instead, he smiled and greeted her, "Hello, Nessa."

"Oowu~!" Vulpix chirped with a wag of its tail.

"You know me?" Nessa asked, surprised.

"I've heard about you from Sonia," Johan replied casually.

Sonia and Nessa were close friends, and Nessa nodded in understanding.

She also realized Johan likely knew more about her than others did. For example, she knew from Sonia that Johan had defeated Mustard, the former Champion of Galar, who had remained undefeated for 18 years.

She also knew Sonia planned to attend school in Hoenn next year because of Johan.

"Is something wrong? You seem distracted," Johan asked politely.

Nessa hesitated, unsure how to begin, but remembering that Sonia had described Johan as an excellent psychologist, she decided to confide in him.

Lorelei, noticing Nessa's hesitation, suggested, "Why don't we talk over some coffee?"

The contestants had a dedicated lounge area stocked with coffee, a must-have in Kalos.

Once in the lounge, Lorelei excused herself to get coffee, leaving Nessa with space to speak.

Nessa explained her situation. Recently, she had lost a battle against what she considered her rival, Milo.

The loss itself was frustrating enough, but Rose, the Galar Pokémon League Chairman, had confronted her afterward. He told her she needed to choose between being a Gym Leader or a model, as balancing both roles might prevent her from achieving her full potential in either.

Being a Gym Leader was still new to her, and she hadn't yet fully adapted to the role.

Johan silently noted the timing. So this is during the events of "Twilight Wings."

He remembered that Nessa later vented her frustrations to Sonia, which is likely how she first heard of him.

"What do you think?" Johan asked gently.

"I…" Nessa hesitated. If she had the answer, she wouldn't have come to Kalos for a distraction.

"I don't know."

"No, I think you do," Johan replied, his voice calm and reassuring.

Nessa looked up, confused.

When their eyes met, she felt as though Johan could see directly into her soul, and it made her nervous.

Johan smiled again and said, "I had a student once. He's about your age and faced a similar, if not greater, dilemma."

Nessa's curiosity was piqued.

Johan stroked Vulpix's fur, gazing out the window as he continued. "He's a skilled Pokémon Trainer, but also the heir to a major company. His personal passion, though, is collecting stones."

Of course, Johan was talking about Steven.

"He once asked me what he should do."

"What did you tell him?" Nessa asked eagerly.

"I asked him to imagine giving up one or even both pursuits. Could he accept such an outcome?"

Johan turned to Nessa and smiled. "Ask yourself, Nessa. Could you give up being a model?"

The thought made Nessa instinctively shake her head.

"And what about being a Gym Leader?"

She shook her head again. Her goal was to become the strongest Gym Leader.

"See? You already have your answer," Johan said with a shrug.

Nessa paused, processing his words.

"Or do you think you're not capable of excelling at both?" Johan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Am I capable?

"I'm just an ordinary person. Can I really do it?" Nessa murmured.

"Everyone's just an ordinary person."

With a flash of light, one of Johan's Poké Balls opened.

Kubfu appeared, clenching its tiny fists in determination. "Ku~!"

Its expression seemed to say, Why not me? If others can, I can too!

"Even you're giving motivational speeches now?" Johan muttered, glancing at Kubfu.

Nessa couldn't help but laugh. "It's adorable."

Johan sighed, cradling Vulpix in one arm while lifting Kubfu by the scruff of its neck with the other. He carried them both out of the lounge, giving Nessa some space to think.

As he left, he offered her one final piece of advice.

"Talk to your Pokémon. After all, you're in this together."

Nessa didn't know how long she sat there, staring at her reflection in her coffee. Eventually, she let out a small sigh.

By evening, the competition was ready to begin.

Vulpix rested on Johan's lap while Gengar and Kubfu worked together to give it a final "massage."

"Ka-kah~! (Just have fun out there. Tonight, we'll conquer the world!)" Gengar cheered.

"Ku~! (Strike fast, strike true!)" Kubfu added.

Johan could only shake his head at their antics.

Vulpix, however, appreciated their encouragement.

When the time came, the participants entered the arena.

Johan stood in line behind Nessa, who seemed less troubled than before, though not entirely at peace.

"Johan," Nessa said earnestly, "after the competition, can we have a battle?"

Before Johan could reply, the host's booming voice announced her entrance, and she stepped into the arena to thunderous applause.

"Next, we welcome Johan from Rustboro City in the Hoenn region!"

Carrying Vulpix, Johan entered the arena to enthusiastic cheers.

Though startled by the attention, Vulpix took a deep breath and climbed onto Johan's shoulder. Its small voice called out to the crowd:

"Oowu~~!"

The competition began with a flourish. Together, Johan and Vulpix worked to carve their sculpture. Slowly but surely, an image emerged: Johan surrounded by his Pokémon—Vulpix in his arms, Gengar posing playfully, Dragonair soaring gracefully, Tinkaton wielding its mighty hammer, and Kubfu sleeping peacefully.

In the sunset's light, the transparent ice sculpture reflected vibrant colors, bringing their creation to life.

Above the arena, snowflakes began to fall.

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Powerstones?

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