Pokemon: Psychic Master

Charcadet, the Fire Child Pokémon — a pure Fire-type.

It's said that this species is born when life takes root in burning charcoal, transforming it into a living Pokémon.

Although it has a humanoid shape, at its core… it's literally a piece of charcoal.

Charcoal is great!

With the Pokémon world's abundant natural resources, wood and charcoal are easy to come by.

Plus, having a living fire Pokémon around in the winter would be the coziest solution to combat the cold.

Johan watched other Pokémon in the breeding facility training intensely, while this little guy sat quietly, radiating warmth.

It felt peaceful.

According to Johan's knowledge, Charcadet originates from the Paldea region and has two possible evolutions:

Ceruledge (Fire/Ghost), a physical attacker. Armarouge (Fire/Psychic), a special attacker capable of learning Aura Sphere.

So it made sense that Johan detected a faint wave of aura from this Charcadet.

However, evolving Charcadet required either an Auspicious Armor or Malicious Armor — special items not easy to come by.

"If you've taken a liking to it, give it a try and see if you can win its trust!"

The old caretaker clenched his teeth, clearly reluctant to let the Charcadet go, but he still encouraged Johan.

"Hm?"

Johan sensed something odd.

"Sir… is there something special about this Charcadet?"

The caretaker coughed and avoided eye contact.

"Well, you see… its ability is Flame Body. For a breeding facility, that's an invaluable trait."

Johan's eyes lit up in realization.

Flame Body!

In battles, this ability gives a chance to burn opponents on contact.

But outside of battle, it significantly speeds up egg hatching.

For any breeding facility, having a Flame Body Pokémon was essential.

No wonder the caretaker was hesitant.

Johan couldn't help but grin.

Flame Body? That's a perfect little heater for winter!

Johan smiled to himself.

With this Charcadet, he wouldn't need to worry about freezing to death in his sleep.

Besides, among all the energetic Pokémon in the facility, this one was sitting calmly.

Finding a quiet and obedient one in a sea of troublemakers was a rare stroke of luck.

Taking a deep breath, Johan made his decision.

"This is the one!"

He nodded firmly.

"This little guy looks like it'll get along with me just fine."

The caretaker sighed deeply, clearly conflicted.

"…Alright. If you're sure, then go ahead."

As Johan approached, Charcadet stirred.

Its aura rippled outward as it scanned the surroundings, before locking eyes with Johan.

For a moment, both trainer and Pokémon seemed to be studying each other.

Charcadet's blue flame eyes flickered with curiosity.

"…Blue eyes?"

Johan blinked in surprise.

This wasn't just any Charcadet — it was a shiny!

Shiny Charcadet's only noticeable difference was the color of its eyes, shifting from red to a ghostly blue.

Johan recalled the hours he'd spent hunting shiny Charcadet in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet. He'd nearly gone blind trying to spot one.

But just as quickly as it appeared, the blue hue faded back to red.

"…Was that… a trick of the light?"

Johan shook his head.

Shiny or not didn't matter.

If this were a game, he'd care about flashy appearances.

But in the real world, what mattered was the bond between trainer and Pokémon.

The caretaker sighed heavily, stroking his beard.

This kid had a sharp eye.

Amidst all the Pokémon with great potential, Johan had zeroed in on the most exceptional Charcadet in the facility.

The old man glanced at the Charcadet, remembering how much time and effort he and his wife had invested into nurturing it.

"…Well, you'll need its approval first. If it doesn't accept you, you won't be able to take it."

"Of course." Johan nodded confidently.

As a Pokémon psychologist, he understood better than anyone how crucial compatibility was.

The caretaker smiled, clearly pleased with Johan's attitude.

"Alright, go ahead."

Johan walked toward Charcadet slowly, a warm smile on his face.

Kneeling down, he spoke gently:

"Hello, Charcadet. My name is Johan, and I'm a Pokémon trainer."

"I think we'll get along well."

"I've already got a great team, but there's one spot left… and I think it's meant for you."

Crackling embers sparked from Charcadet's body as it listened, the flames burning just a little brighter.

Johan could feel the warmth radiating from the little Pokémon — a perfect winter companion.

Charcadet slowly stood, dusting off its knees.

Their eyes met.

Charcadet's gaze was serious, deep.

In Johan's eyes, it saw sincerity and kindness.

Johan reached into his pocket and pulled out a Silver Feather, a memento from Moltres.

The feather shimmered with a soft glow, its fiery aura resonating with Charcadet's own flames.

"This is my gift to you," Johan said.

Charcadet's flames flared briefly in surprise.

It leaned forward, carefully accepting the feather before tucking it into the crack of its helmet.

Whoosh!

The flames around Charcadet surged as it absorbed the feather's energy.

Though it looked the same on the outside, its aura had grown stronger.

"Looks like a perfect fit," Johan chuckled.

Charcadet nodded in agreement.

"Quick, take out a Poké Ball and catch it!" the caretaker urged.

Johan didn't need to be told twice.

He took out a Luxury Ball and held it out.

"If you're ready…"

Charcadet didn't wait for him to finish.

It reached out and tapped the button.

With a flash of red light, it disappeared into the ball, which locked shut with a satisfying click.

Johan grinned as he stood up, holding the ball proudly.

"My sixth team member!"

The caretaker sighed again, patting Johan on the shoulder.

"Take good care of it."

"Of course." Johan nodded.

Charcadet would be the key to surviving winter.

Time to stock up on firewood and build a cozy little corner for it in the café.

The old man chuckled.

"You're lucky. It's not every day someone casually pulls out a Moltres feather… Looks like you won't need any extra charcoal."

"Charcoal's easy to find," Johan replied with a grin.

"Wait…"

The old man's eyes narrowed.

"When you say 'charcoal'… are we talking about the item that boosts Fire-type moves?"

"…Wait, what?" Johan froze.

"You didn't know?"

The old caretaker stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"We've been feeding that Charcadet pure charcoal since it hatched. To bring out its potential, we spared no expense."

"Charcoal… as food?!"

Johan stared at the Luxury Ball in disbelief.

"Wait a second…"

Suddenly, the ball in his hand grew warm.

The temperature climbed steadily until the ball became almost too hot to hold.

"…It's heating up?!"

"Don't worry," the caretaker said casually.

"You chose a Luxury Ball — it'll handle the heat. Probably."

"Probably?!"

"And besides, now that it trusts you, it should tone things down."

"This is toned down?!"

The ball grew hotter. Johan quickly released Charcadet.

Poof!

Charcadet appeared, flames roaring.

"…Goka!"

The fire Pokémon crossed its arms confidently.

The rowdy Pokémon around the facility took one look at the blazing Charcadet… and fled in all directions.

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Powerstones?

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