Pokemon: Psychic Master

"Johan-sensei," Bea hesitated, her voice faltering as she ate her cake.

"Hmm?" Johan glanced at her.

"Please... p-promise me you won't tell anyone about my love for sweets!" Bea's cheeks flushed a deep red.

Raised under her parents' rigorous genius-training regime, Bea adhered strictly to etiquette. She displayed exceptional judgment and remained calm even in dangerous situations.

But this upbringing came at a cost.

Even though she was much younger than Steven and the others, the pressure of becoming a gym leader under her parents' strict guidance had unconsciously shackled her spirit. Her natural smile had long since disappeared.

As Johan looked at Bea's serious expression, he sighed inwardly.

It was only when she was enjoying desserts that her true self seemed to emerge—her genuine emotions, her sincere joy.

"Of course," Johan replied with a warm smile.

"T-thank you!" Bea stammered, bowing slightly.

Before long, she finished the large slice of cake.

But after licking the last crumbs from her spoon, she stood abruptly.

"Johan-sensei, please have a Pokémon battle with me!" Bea declared, bowing at a sharp 90° angle.

No escape, huh?

Johan felt a headache coming on.

"Chu!"

Before he could respond, Tinkatuff shot up from its seat, hammer in hand, its eyes gleaming with determination.

There were still two of Kanto's toughest gyms left to challenge—it had to seize every opportunity to grow stronger!

Bea was clearly a seasoned fighter, a perfect sparring partner to test out the martial arts techniques Tinkatuff had learned from Bruno's training notes.

"You want to battle?" Johan asked, raising an eyebrow at Tinkatuff.

"Chu! Chu!" Tinkatuff nodded enthusiastically, gripping its hammer tightly.

Seeing Tinkatuff's readiness, Bea felt her fighting spirit ignite as well.

"Johan-sensei, let's battle!" Bea insisted, her hands clenched into fists.

"Chu!!" Tinkatuff echoed, equally determined.

Behind the Café – An Open Field

Johan and Bea stood on opposite sides of a small, grassy clearing.

A cool breeze stirred the leaves, rippling across a nearby lake as the sun dipped toward the horizon.

The scene felt oddly cinematic, as if it were a classic duel at sunset.

Why does this feel like a movie fight? Johan rubbed his temples.

"Go, Machamp!" Bea's eyes sharpened as she tossed her Poké Ball.

Out came a brawny, humanoid Pokémon with four muscular arms and blue-gray skin—Machamp, the epitome of Fighting-type strength.

Machamp flexed its arms, striking an intimidating pose, before reaching down to its belt and pulling out a Black Belt to tie around its forehead.

[Black Belt: A headband that boosts the power of Fighting-type moves. (Put it on, and you'll be a martial arts master!)]

The Pokédex's commentary popped into Johan's mind, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Pokédex, you're getting way too enthusiastic lately.

"Chu?"

Tinkatuff tilted its head at the sight, then pulled out a Power Band of its own, tying it snugly around its head with a confident flourish.

Seeing this, Bea's eyes sparkled.

"This Tinkatuff... it's got spirit!"

Meanwhile, behind a nearby tree, the Team Rocket trio and Wobbuffet peeked out at the battlefield.

"Who's that girl?" Jessie asked curiously.

"I think... her name's Bea?" James replied hesitantly.

"She's challenging Johan-sensei, meow?" Meowth added.

"Wobba!" Wobbuffet saluted, exclaiming, "Victory!"

"Give it your all, Machamp!" Bea commanded, her tone steady.

"Machaa!" Machamp bellowed, spreading its four arms wide as it grinned fiercely.

"Chu."

Tinkatuff stared at Machamp's wide stance, pondering.

Small hammer or big hammer?

After a moment's deliberation, it decided: Big hammer feels safer.

A faint blue aura shimmered around Johan as he activated his Aura Powers, his calm voice resonating in Tinkatuff's mind.

"Tinkatuff, start with Swords Dance."

"Chu!"

Tinkatuff slammed its hammer into the ground, sending a faint tremor through the field. Its body glowed with a red energy, accompanied by a low, metallic hum.

"Wait, the match has already started?!" James exclaimed from his hiding spot.

Bea blinked, momentarily stunned.

"Bea," Johan said with a straight face, "if you're not prepared to play defensively, then seizing the initiative is the first step to victory."

It's a friendly match. No referee. Who cares if I go first?

Bea snapped back to attention, her expression firm.

"I see! Thank you for the lesson, Johan-sensei!"

To her, this was a valuable demonstration. After all, in the wild, opponents wouldn't follow any formal rules.

"Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp lunged forward with remarkable speed, its fists glowing with crimson energy.

Its No Guard ability ensured perfect accuracy, while Dynamic Punch guaranteed confusion upon landing. This classic "No Guard Dynamic Punch" strategy was both feared and admired in the Fighting-type community.

But…

As fast as Machamp was, Johan's Aura-enhanced perception allowed him to track its every movement.

Clang!

Machamp's powerful fists struck Tinkatuff's hammer, sending a shockwave through the air.

Tinkatuff responded by subtly dragging its hammer downward, dissipating the force of the blow—a technique it had learned from Bruno's notes.

Sometimes, against stronger foes, brute force wasn't the answer. Subtle redirection could be far more effective.

"Huh?" Bea's eyes widened in surprise.

She had never considered such a tactic before.

Meanwhile, Machamp unleashed a flurry of punches, hammering away at Tinkatuff's weapon. The repeated impacts left faint dents in the hammer's surface.

Is it… refining its hammer using Machamp's attacks? Johan grimaced at the realization.

How much will it cost to repair that thing?

"Tinkatuff, now! Use Ice Hammer!" Johan shouted.

Tinkatuff seized an opening in Machamp's assault, swinging its hammer in a wide arc. A layer of frost spread across the hammerhead as it struck Machamp squarely in the chest.

"Machaa!"

The blow sent Machamp hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with enough force to leave a sizable crater.

"Not bad," Bea muttered, her admiration for Tinkatuff growing.

"Machamp, use Close Combat!" she ordered, clenching her fists.

Machamp roared, shattering its gold-trimmed Power Save Belt. Unrestrained, its full strength was unleashed, its muscles bulging with raw power.

Is it… going full Berserk Mode? Johan felt a chill.

"Don't let it close in! Tinkatuff, throw your hammer!"

Tinkatuff's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Chu!!"

It hurled the frozen hammer with all its might.

"Wham!"

The hammer slammed into Machamp's face, sending it staggering backward.

Seizing the moment, Tinkatuff dashed forward to retrieve the hammer, which was now glowing with a soft pink hue. A faint aura of sparkling stars surrounded it.

Wait… is that… Play Rough? Johan blinked.

"Chu!!"

With a cheeky grin, Tinkatuff swung the hammer one last time, creating a small explosion of stardust and sending Machamp crashing to the ground.

When the dust settled, Machamp was out cold.

"I lost," Bea said solemnly, bowing deeply.

She approached Johan and dropped to her knees, pleading earnestly:

"Please teach me, Johan-sensei!"

Johan rubbed his temples, utterly exasperated.

Teach her what? My "skills" are just borrowed moves!

After a long pause, he sighed and said, "Bea, sometimes you're too focused on formality. You should try… 'Unrestricted Combat.'"

"Unrestricted Combat?" Bea's eyes lit up with curiosity.

Seeing her excitement, Johan's lips twitched.

Somewhere in the future…

"Go, Bea!"

With a battle cry, Bea took down her opponent using her own unique, chaotic fighting style.

What have I unleashed upon the world…? Johan wondered grimly.

"Maybe… I should have her work at the café for a while first," he muttered, imagining the chaos she could bring.

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Powerstones?

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