Pokemon: Psychic Master

Night had fallen.

Johan and his friends gathered for a victory feast to celebrate his championship win.

"Cheers!"

The crisp clinking of glasses filled the air, mingling with laughter and lively chatter, creating a stark contrast to the quiet night outside.

With so many people and Pokémon, the group had divided into three tables: large, medium, and small.

At the biggest table sat the large-sized, heavy-eating Pokémon — Gengar, Cynthia's Garchomp, Lance's Dragonite and Charizard, Steven's Metagross, and Aggron.

The table was piled high with food: energy cubes, berries, MooMoo Milk, macarons, rice, noodles, and an array of hearty dishes.

Gengar had already devoured a huge bowl of udon noodles and was now cradling a giant bowl of rice, devouring it like it was his last meal.

Sitting next to Garchomp, Gengar pointed at the screen showing a replay of the tournament.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Down the hatch!

The two Pokémon exchanged a glance and grinned as they scarfed down their food.

"Teacher, I think your Gengar eats more than a Snorlax!" Flannery exclaimed, shuddering at the sight of the massive rice bowl.

Johan chuckled awkwardly.

"Heh. You don't know the half of it."

Honestly, even Johan didn't know Gengar's true limit.

That huge bowl of rice was just what the hotel's kitchen could manage. It was nowhere near enough to satisfy Gengar's appetite.

The middle table seated Johan, Cynthia, Lance, Steven, Lorelei, and a few others.

The small table?

That was for the smaller Pokémon — and one particularly excited kid.

Alolan Ninetales, Tinkaton, Dragonair, Kubfu, Eevee… and, of course, Ash.

Though it was called the "small table," it was still piled high with food — second only to the big eaters' table. It made sense for Ash to sit there.

Ninetales, now evolved, ate more than before. However, it shyly tucked its face under its tails when eating, blushing whenever anyone looked its way.

"Oowoo~~ (//▽//)"

Meanwhile, Cynthia's Eevee couldn't contain its curiosity and slipped under Ninetales's tails to watch how it ate.

Tinkaton was much more carefree. Sitting proudly in an oversized baby chair, it wielded a custom-made spoon like a hammer, shoveling food into its mouth.

"Cha! Cha!"

Dragonair and Milotic sat together, gracefully eating their meals.

Kubfu, despite its usual sleepy demeanor, was focused on eating.

"Ku~~"

Winter was coming, and Kubfu believed the best way to prepare was by stockpiling food… in its belly.

"The desserts here are quite good." Steven smiled as the hotel staff wheeled in a dessert cart.

The staff were exhausted from the night. Serving so many ravenous Pokémon wasn't something they encountered often.

"Hmm…" Cynthia looked at two scoops of ice cream — vanilla and chocolate — with indecision written all over her face.

"Vanilla or chocolate?"

Johan handed her a mille-feuille instead.

"Don't eat ice cream in this weather. Try this instead."

"…Okay." Cynthia reluctantly accepted, though she glanced wistfully at the ice cream.

Johan slid the ice cream toward Caitlin.

Caitlin blinked, confused. "What…?"

"Johan! You scoundrel! I'll get you for this!" Caitlin slammed her hands on the table.

Johan smirked. "If you want to challenge me, beat my student first." He clapped a hand on Steven's shoulder.

Steven, confused by the glare directed his way, tilted his head.

"…Hmph!" Caitlin huffed. "Fine. I'll remember this, Steven!"

Steven: ???

Meanwhile, Lance rotated the lazy Susan and slid a bowl of ice cream toward Lorelei.

"Here, old lady. Your favorite."

Bang!

Lorelei slammed the table. "You bastard! Let's settle this outside!"

Seeing her fiery temper, some of the younger guests grew nervous.

The "future duo" — Calem and Marnie — and runner-up Goodrian exchanged wary glances.

This was a room full of champions. It was terrifying.

Even dinner was a battlefield.

The only one unfazed was Blue, who calmly slipped food into a bag she'd brought.

"These snacks are expensive. I'll sell them later."

"Cough, cough." Professor Oak cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Ash, how about we play a quick quiz?"

"A quiz?"

Ash looked up, his hands locked in a tug-of-war over a chicken leg with Kubfu.

"Yes. Quick questions about Pokémon knowledge." Oak smiled warmly.

Ash's eyes sparkled. "Bring it on, Professor!"

"Alright, first question: In today's world, how many known pure dragon-type Pokémon are there?"

The room fell silent as everyone thought it over.

Ash, however, beamed with confidence. "I know!"

He counted on his fingers. "There's Lance's Charizard, Gyarados, Aerodactyl…"

The silence grew deafening.

Then, someone burst out laughing.

Lance froze.

Wait. Was this quiz… aimed at me?

Lorelei snorted, unable to hold back. "Ash, you're hilarious."

Ash puffed out his chest. "Of course! I'm going to be a champion, just like Johan!"

Oak knocked him lightly on the head with his chopsticks. "Wrong. All wrong."

"Eh?!"

"None of the Pokémon you listed are dragon-types."

Ash stared at Lance in confusion.

Lance stared at the ceiling.

"…Then what type are they?"

"Flying types," Johan interjected with a smirk.

"But… their names have 'dragon' in them," Ash muttered.

Lance's expression softened into a smile. "Ash, I think Bruno's training methods would suit you well. Want me to take you outside for some practice?"

"Really?!" Ash's eyes lit up with excitement.

Lance opened his mouth to continue, but no words came out.

"Cough." Johan cleared his throat. "Ash, if you ever want to deepen your knowledge, consider attending Kanaz University."

Delia's eyes sparkled. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Johan!"

Ash, however, grimaced. He wasn't a fan of studying at Pokémon academies.

Despite the chaos, the victory feast ended on a happy note.

They laughed, joked, and enjoyed themselves, knowing they would soon part ways.

Lance would continue his undercover mission in Team Rocket.

Steven, Roxanne, Flannery, and Lorelei had exams waiting for them back home.

Cynthia and Caitlin needed to return to Unova to finish their assignments for Professor Carolina.

As for Johan?

He'd return to Hoenn with Steven and the others.

Watching his students stress over exams was enough entertainment.

But his own work awaited.

The academy headmaster had called Johan personally after the tournament.

"Johan, the academy's exclusive daycare will open soon. You'll be able to select a new Pokémon to raise."

The thought brought a smile to Johan's face.

"I wonder what new adventure awaits."

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Powerstones?

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