Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 387: Johan: Don’t Rush, Let My Soul Keep Flying~

An unexpected opening—Magmortar took the lead, charging ahead at full speed.

But some competitors got caught in the crossfire.

For instance, an unnamed pseudo-camera operator later recounted in a post-race interview:

"Gah! (﹏`)"

Translation:

"You don't understand. Just as I was about to take off, a blast of fire shot toward me. At that moment, I could already smell roast duck, deep-fried sparrow, and grilled pigeon..."

Fortunately, since Flint and Magmortar didn't directly attack other competitors, they weren't disqualified.

"Woohoo!" Flint, standing on his hot air balloon, cheered excitedly. "Magmortar, full throttle!"

Watching this utterly flashy display, Johan momentarily forgot about the thrill of Dragonite's takeoff. He absentmindedly muttered:

"If even Magmortar can fly... is there anyone who can't?"

However, Magmortar's rocket launch technique obviously couldn't be sustained for long. After briefly leading the race, it was quickly overtaken by the majority of competitors.

After all, if a Flying-type Pokémon was slower than Magmortar, that would be downright embarrassing.

And worse—they risked taking multiple rounds of collateral damage.

Taking the true lead—was none other than our future Flying-type Elite Four, Lance!

Right behind him was Fortree Gym Leader Winona, soaring on Altaria's back.

As for Johan...

He clung to Dragonite's back with a deadpan expression, gripping the harness tightly.

One undeniable fact—this harness made the riding experience significantly better.

Even with the wind roaring past on both sides, making him feel like his body was in the front while his soul lagged behind, at least—

"I think... I can do this again!" Johan took a deep breath.

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How could such a practical invention like a flight harness exist?

"Draaa?"

Dragonite turned its head, letting out a soft call.

Johan forced a smile.

He knew Dragonite loved flying and even more so carrying him along. But after some... unpleasant flying experiences in the past, the little guy had developed a tiny bit of concern.

It wanted to soar through the skies with Johan, but at the same time, it worried about hurting him.

So—

Seeing Johan's thumbs-up, Dragonite let out a joyous roar.

Nearby, Garchomp and Cynthia—who was crouched stylishly on its back, looking infinitely cooler than Johan—glanced over curiously.

Johan gave her a thumbs-up as well.

Cynthia smiled slightly, patting Garchomp's neck.

"Garrr—!!"

Garchomp instantly stopped holding back, letting out a fierce roar as it picked up speed.

"Draaa!"

"Yeah, no problem—GO—GOOOOO!!!"

With a sudden downward dive, Dragonite shot into the forest section of the race, launching Johan's soul even farther behind.

"Look at that!"

The race commentator shouted excitedly into the broadcast mic:

"Johan's technique is so professional! See how he presses close to Dragonite's back? Do you know why?"

"This reduces air resistance, allowing for faster command transmission and, most importantly—minimizing exposure to unknown dangers!"

"Everyone, are you taking notes?!"

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh—

Entering the dense forest caused a massive disturbance, startling the wild Pokémon within.

"Watch out for Pidgeotto!"

"Crap—Venomoth's Poison Powder!"

"Wait, why are all these Beedrill only chasing me?!"

The difficulty spiked instantly, as many competitors faced an unceremonious "welcome" from the local wildlife.

Especially those trainers who rode their Pokémon.

Thus highlighting Johan's superior flying posture.

One by one, other competitors started mimicking his stance.

Before he knew it, Johan had unintentionally become the textbook example for flight courses everywhere.

But for experienced trainers and Pokémon, these obstacles barely slowed them down.

Whoosh—

Lance remained at the front, bursting out of the forest into the rocky canyon section.

The others followed closely behind.

Now was the moment for competitors to truly widen the gap—each revealing their own tricks.

"Tropius, charge!"

"Jumpluff, it's your time to shine!"

The Chlorophyll ability activated under the clear skies, doubling the speed of Pokémon who possessed it.

[Chlorophyll: When in sunny weather, this Pokémon's Speed is doubled.]

"Tropius and Jumpluff are catching up fast! They're closing in on the leading pack!"

The so-called leading pack consisted of Lance, Winona, and Cynthia.

Lance's Dragonite was beyond question—countless emergency missions with the International Police had honed their flying skills to an elite level.

Winona and Altaria were equally formidable. As the local Gym Leader, she knew the terrain like the back of her hand.

From her calm, measured pace, it was clear—she and Altaria hadn't even gone full speed yet.

(Anyone who runs knows—the second-place runner benefits immensely from reduced air resistance.)

As for Cynthia...

Was there any flight scenario more extreme than launching off Mt. Coronet at full speed?

And Johan?

Firmly in the second tier.

According to him—this was tactical positioning.

Joining him were Wallace and Clair.

Seeing Tropius and Jumpluff rapidly closing in on the lead, Wallace glanced at Winona's back... and smiled faintly.

"Pelipper."

Dark clouds gathered above.

The race commentator shouted:

"It's—it's Drizzle! The Chlorophyll boost is gone!"

Johan glanced at Wallace's gentle smile.

Honestly, he wanted to shake this man.

"Dude. If you like her, just TELL HER."

"If you make sacrifices, SAY IT OUT LOUD."

"How's she supposed to know if you don't tell her?!"

"Otherwise, don't come crying when you turn into some tragic romance drama protagonist!"

"Whoa!! Flint's Magmortar is catching up!" The commentator's astonishment filled the air.

"Go, Magmortar!!"

While the rocky canyon was a nightmare for flying Pokémon...

It was perfect for Flint.

Magmortar landed on a towering rock pillar and blasted fire downward—

BOOM!

Jet launch, Round 2.

More competitors screamed in protest.

It seemed that getting out of Fortree City unscathed was becoming increasingly unlikely for Flint.

Even Johan felt the scorching heat closing in behind him.

Losing to Lance, Winona, or Cynthia was fine.

But losing to Flint in a flying race?

Johan clenched his teeth.

"Dragonite—FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

No bad luck so far—meaning Dragonite's luck balance had shifted into the positive zone.

Time to go all out.

"Draaa!!"

Hearing that, Dragonite roared in excitement, flapping its wings powerfully as it surged forward.

The final stretch—a narrow mountain pass—lay ahead.

The leading group prepared to make their final push.

Winona took the initiative.

"Altaria—Dragon Dance!"

Lance, unwilling to fall behind, called out:

"Dragonite—Dragon Dance as well!"

"Garrr!!" (I'm not losing to you!)

Cynthia's Garchomp roared, and—

Just as it was about to overtake Johan—

Dragonite flew past it.

This was a true high-level match.

A powerful headwind blasted through the pass.

Winona stayed composed.

"Altaria—Tailwind!"

Using the airflow to slingshot forward, she overtook both Lance and Cynthia.

Meanwhile, Lance called out to Johan:

"Johan! Now's our real showdown!"

To Lance, Winona and Cynthia weren't even a threat—

But Johan didn't respond.

Lance assumed he was focused.

In reality—

Johan was just too drained to speak.

He simply pressed his forehead against Dragonite's back, praying for dear life.

As the commentator hyped up the final sprint, all the top competitors unleashed their finishing moves.

Winona—Brave Bird!

Cynthia—Dragon Rush!

Lance—Dragon Rush!

Johan?

He mentally screamed:

"Screw it! Dragonite—GO FOR IT!"

"DRAAA!!"

With one final burst, Dragonite surged forward—

Crossing the finish line first!

L

ance, in second, simply sighed.

"Of course Johan had a trump card."

Winona: "That... was a high-rank match."

Cynthia's Garchomp: "...Where's Flint?"

As Johan stumbled off Dragonite, his legs gave out—

Cynthia, subtly, caught him just in time.

"Congrats, Johan," Lance said.

Johan raised a hand, stopping them all.

"Don't rush..." he muttered.

"Let my soul... keep flying for a bit..."

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