Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 567: I’ve Made It!

"Mr. Johan, you've defeated Champion Leon and advanced to the semifinals. Is there anything you'd like to say to everyone?"

After the match, as arranged by the tournament organizers, a press conference was held. Journalists gathered to interview Johan and Leon.

One reporter from Galar asked earnestly.

"Ummm..." Johan paused slightly before replying, "Leon's Charizard... was really strong."

He turned to look at Gengar sitting beside him, wearing sunglasses and acting all cool.

"Ka-kaah!"

Gengar nodded shortly, adjusting its shades in approval.

The mischievous and rowdy Gengar on the battlefield was now the image of silent swagger—fresh off a satisfying win.

The journalist's eyes lit up at the response, but before she could follow up, Johan added:

"If anyone plans to fight Leon's Charizard, I suggest not using Water-, Rock-, or Ground-type Pokémon."

"Huh?" The Galar reporter blinked. "Why not?"

"Because it uses G-Max Grass."

Galar reporter: "???"

Leon, nearby: "..."

He didn't even use Gigantamax. How did Johan know that?

Then again... a Fire-type Charizard with G-Max Grass does make tactical sense. Like how Raihan always uses Sandstorm strategies against Leon—never works.

"Ahem." A reporter from Hoenn suppressed a laugh and turned to Leon.

"Leon, how would you evaluate Mr. Johan?"

Leon didn't hesitate: "He's really strong. Especially his Gengar."

"Ka-kaah~"

Gengar tilted its shades at Leon.

"Anything else?" the Hoenn reporter asked again.

Leon nodded seriously. "Also Ninetales, Dragonite, Ceruledge, Tinkaton, and Urshifu..."

Hold on.

Leon hadn't even battled Tinkaton or Urshifu.

And that wasn't what the reporter meant...

"Mr. Johan, you've now defeated all three major Galar Trainers: Nessa, Raihan, and Leon. Any comments?"

A new voice asked.

Hmm?

Who was trying to sow discord between him and the Galar League?

Johan followed the voice... A reporter wearing a Kalos TV station badge.

He glanced at Gengar.

Remember this station.

Gengar tugged its shades down, revealing a crimson gleam in its eye. It licked its lips and nodded slightly.

"Ka-kaah~"

That guy's definitely wetting the bed tonight.

Johan cleared his throat. "Ahem. You all know—I get along great with Galar Trainers."

"Master Mustard is like a mentor. Leon's practically a fellow disciple. Champion Peony is a good friend. His daughter is my student. Magnolia's granddaughter—also my student..."

The Kalos reporter started sweating.

Wait... does Johan own the Galar League?

Leon remained silent, thinking.

If Johan is Mustard's student... that makes me his peer. If Peony's his friend, then Peony's my friend too.

Wait—

I'm peers with Champion Peony! That means I outrank Steven and the rest by a generation!

Nice!

—

After the interview, before the next match, Johan and Leon chatted.

"Still didn't get to see your Eevee..." Leon said wistfully.

Johan winced.

Since you're so sincere...

"Next time I'm in Galar, I'll bring it."

"Deal!" Leon beamed.

Then, sincerely:

"But that match taught me and my Pokémon a lot."

After all, both Leon and Johan are quality players—with bond-based tactics as their backbone.

Leon had learned a lot from Johan's gameplay during the match.

Johan chuckled awkwardly.

Just don't tell anyone I taught you.

Leon clenched his fist. "Now I'm even more confident for my next tournament!"

"Next tournament?" Johan blinked.

"Oh—Galar's Champion Cup."

The Champion Cup.

Unique to Galar. It has two formats:

One is similar to other regions' League tournaments—badge collection, knockout style. Leon had won this at age ten and caught Rose's attention.

The other is Galar's version of a Champion Path—since Galar has no Elite Four. It's the official Champion's League.

Currently, Champion Peony held that title.

But Leon lowered his voice:

"Chairman Rose has confirmed—Champion Peony has stepped down."

Stepped down?

And it's coming from Rose?

Even though Rose and Peony are brothers, their relationship was...

Still.

If Peony has stepped down and Leon's entering the Champion League—

That means Leon's about to become Galar's official Champion.

Our generation is finally getting its first Champion.

"Go for it." Johan patted his shoulder seriously.

Sure, Leon's current strength might not quite be Champion-level yet. At best, he was about equal with Johan—maybe an Elite Four-tier at most.

But with Rose's backing and Galar's Dynamax advantage—

It wasn't out of reach.

Plus, Leon was only getting stronger.

"I'll win for sure!" Leon grinned. "The Champion Cup isn't for a while though. I'll be training with my teacher until then."

"Make sure to win it!"

Johan smiled as he imagined a future where his friends were all champions:

Galar's Champion Leon, Hoenn's Steven, Sinnoh's Cynthia, Johto's Lance, Kalos's Diantha...

The Pokémon world would basically be his turf.

"You guys better not slack off!"

—

That afternoon, the second quarterfinal began, met with roaring cheers.

Steven from Hoenn vs Diantha from Kalos.

Johan, invited to commentate thanks to his match being done and his deep familiarity with Steven, joined the broadcast.

"Let's go, Aggron!" Steven declared with poise—sending out his iconic "Wall" Pokémon.

"Your turn, Hawlucha!"

Diantha responded with her Flying/Fighting-type striker.

On paper, Aggron was in a terrible spot—quadruple weak to Fighting.

But in real battle, things weren't that simple.

In the games, stats are capped. IVs, EVs, base stats decide power.

But in the real world, Pokémon had no theoretical cap—only what you could train.

Steven was one of the few Trainers willing to pay any price.

With Johan's training, Steven's Aggron had absurd physical defense. And Hawlucha was a physical attacker.

"Hawlucha, High Jump Kick!"

"Aggron, Ice Punch!"

WHAM!!

Hawlucha landed a sliding kick on Aggron's leg, nearly toppling it—

But Aggron maintained balance and countered with a brutal Ice Punch.

The fight was on.

—

In the end, the result shocked everyone.

"Hawlucha, Close Combat!"

"Aggron, Heavy Slam!"

CRASH!!

Both Pokémon fell simultaneously.

A double knockout.

Commentary:

"Steven has the upper hand now..."

"Huh? Didn't they both faint?"

"Is that biased commentary?!"

But Johan explained:

"Hawlucha was Diantha's physical sweeper. Aggron, while important, was mainly there to stop physical attackers."

"That's why Steven didn't switch out, even with a 4x weakness to Fighting."

"Steven has replacements. Diantha? That was probably her only true answer to his whole team."

Makes sense!

Diantha's known Pokémon included: Gardevoir, Goodra, Tyrantrum, Aurorus, Gourgeist.

All weak to Steel-types.

Steven, though a Steel specialist, also used Rock and Ground Pokémon.

Fighting beats Steel and Rock—but with Hawlucha gone, Diantha lost her edge.

And just as Johan predicted...

After Hawlucha fainted, Steven controlled the match's rhythm.

Diantha's Goodra did great—taking two KOs...

But in the final clash:

Mega Metagross vs Mega Gardevoir

Meteor Mash smashed Gardevoir into the dirt.

Steven advanced to the semifinals. Diantha was eliminated.

—

Both matches that day were thrilling for the audience.

Steven was elated; Diantha wasn't discouraged. Like Leon, she gained even more fans.

Supposedly, right after the match, she received dozens of film offers.

Lose the match, win the market.

Johan stared in envy.

So he's the only one actually playing for prize money?

—

That night.

Flint didn't come by to bother him—he was prepping to face Cynthia tomorrow and was deep in training.

But someone else came to see Johan.

Knock knock—

"Gengar, get the door."

Johan was lounging on the sofa, reading Secrets of the Earth.

"Ka-kaah~"

Gengar, floating mid-air while scrolling through online praise, stuffed the phone into its mouth and crept to the door.

Peeked out.

"KA-KAAH!!"

Gengar recoiled in terror.

"Oowoo?"

Ninetales lifted its head, tails swaying.

Danger?

Johan gave Dragonite a look.

"Draa..."

Dragonite stepped to the door, fist ready.

Three... two... one—OPEN!

"IT'S ME!!"

The moment the door swung open, Dragonite's punch froze inches from Professor Oak's face.

Sweat trickled down Oak's forehead.

Gengar zipped back into Johan's shadow.

That's why Gengar was scared—it was Professor Oak...

Good thing Dragonite hadn't followed through.

But then, Johan noticed who stood beside Oak.

One was his grandson—Green.

The other, wearing a cap and a Trainer outfit...

Red?!

The legendary Red?!

Green and Red bowed slightly.

"Mr. Johan, thank you for having us."

Damn.

I've made it. Even Red calls me "Teacher" now.

----------

Powerstones?

For 20 advance Chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates