I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the 40 latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/Pokeficlord
—------------------—
That woman named Shelly had already crushed a certain item in her hand the moment Garchomp erupted.
A thick cloud of smoke exploded, obscuring everyone's vision.
When the smoke dissipated, only a single footprint remained on the ground.
The person was long gone.
The forest returned to silence.
Only the bottomless pit and the dust still lingering in the air bore witness to everything that had just happened.
Steven swallowed hard; he looked at the pit, then at the Garchomp beside him, whose breathing had stabilized but whose eyes still held a lingering red glow. Finally, his gaze fell upon Ariel, who was leaning against a tree trunk, gasping for breath.
"Ariel."
Steven's voice broke the silence, carrying an irrepressible astonishment.
"Was that just now… Psychic?"
This question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
Ariel did not answer immediately; he just waved his hand and wiped the nosebleed off his face with his sleeve, the sticky sensation making him very uncomfortable.
The aftereffects of overdrawing his mental energy kicked in; his brain felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, throbbing with pain, and his vision even began to double.
He knew he had overplayed his hand this time.
In order to save Cynthia in the blink of an eye, he had squeezed out almost all his mental energy, nearly frying his own brain.
Cynthia did not speak.
She just stood there quietly, a few strands of her long golden hair tousled by the strong wind from moments ago, sticking to her cheeks.
She raised her hand and gently tucked the stray strands behind her ear; her movements were elegant, yet they could not hide the slight trembling of her fingertips.
She walked slowly to Ariel, crouched down, and looked him in the eye.
In her gray eyes, Ariel's pale face was reflected.
It was a complex expression; the initial shock had faded, replaced by a sense of inquiry.
In the end, all these emotions settled down, turning into pure concern.
"Are you alright?"
Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness.
"I won't die."
Ariel twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to smile, but it pulled at his nerves, making him wince in pain.
"It just took a bit of a toll on my brain."
This half-joking remark eased the atmosphere a little.
Ariel knew exactly what was going on.
His trump card had been exposed, but what he gained in return was far more valuable than a mere trump card.
From this moment on, he was no longer just a talented Trainer in Cynthia's eyes.
He was an equal.
He was a true companion to whom she could entrust her back in this perilous forest.
Steven slapped Ariel's shoulder heavily; the force was significant, causing Ariel to stumble.
"You rascal!"
Steven's voice was filled with surprise and an undisguised appreciation; he leaned in, his eyes shining terrifyingly bright, as if he had discovered some peerless ore vein.
"You've hidden this well! Psychic? What else don't I know about? Spill it all at once!"
He half-jokingly, half-seriously hooked Ariel's neck, looking like he was about to interrogate him under torture.
Ariel was almost choked for air; the warm, bloody smell in his nose hadn't fully dissipated, and now, with Steven messing around like this, his head began to swim.
He struggled with a wry smile and raised his hands in surrender.
"Big brother, big brother, easy, I'm still bleeding here!"
Hearing this, Steven let go and scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, but the inquiry in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Cynthia stood to the side, her long golden hair glowing with a soft luster; she didn't ask questions boisterously like Steven, but just watched Ariel quietly, her gray eyes filled with even more complex emotions than before.
There was the relief of surviving a disaster, gratitude toward her savior, but more than that, it was a form of scrutiny, a serious regard for an equal-level powerhouse.
Ariel knew that he had to pass this test, and he had to do it well.
The existence of Mewtwo was his biggest secret and could absolutely not be exposed.
He rubbed his still-aching nose and took a deep breath, trying to make himself look more composed.
"It was just an accident."
Ariel smiled, his expression carrying a bit of self-deprecation and helplessness.
"I only discovered it myself a while ago; sometimes, when I get emotional, there's a buzzing sound in my head, and then… it just happens."
He shrugged, putting on an expression of "I'm just as confused as you are."
"I've checked the records; they say that in extremely rare cases, people can awaken it accidentally without heredity due to certain special stimuli; as for the probability… it's about the same as getting struck by lightning twice."
He had prepared this story long ago and had even specifically researched related unofficial histories and urban legends to ensure there were no obvious logical loopholes.
"Accidental awakening…"
Cynthia repeated softly; she walked up to Ariel and scrutinized him carefully, as if trying to find traces of a lie on his face.
After a moment, she nodded slightly:
"I have read similar records in my family's ancient texts; such cases do indeed exist, but I didn't expect to see one with my own eyes."
Her words undoubtedly provided the strongest endorsement for Ariel's explanation.
The stone that had been hanging in Ariel's heart finally fell.
He smiled and waved his hand, just about to say something humble to brush the matter off, but Steven leaned in again, his expression much more serious this time.
"Ariel, when I saw you using it just now, your face turned pale and you had a nosebleed; that is not a good sign."
Steven pointed out the problem precisely.
"Your Psychic, is it not controlled very well? Or rather, have you never learned how to use it at all?"
One sentence hit the nail on the head.
Ariel's smile stiffened.
Seeing his reaction, Steven knew he had guessed correctly.
He patted his chest, fully displaying the demeanor of someone wealthy and generous.
"That's easy to fix! Although Devon Corporation deals in ore and machinery, we have quite a collection of rare items; I'll use my connections when I get back to find you a few manuals on Psychic Calm Mind and training; I can't promise they're top-tier, but at least they'll get you started so you won't feel like you're dying every time you use it."
Manuals!
And products of Devon Corporation's internal connections!
Ariel's breath hitched for a moment.
These things were practically legendary on the market, firmly monopolized by the League and those Psychic families; you couldn't buy them even with money.
He had racked his brains before and could only find a few dubious so-called "introductory insights" on some underground forums, which had negligible effects.
And now, with one casual sentence, Steven was about to hand him such strategic-level resources.
Is this… the foundation of a Champion family?
Ariel's heart accelerated uncontrollably, a mixture of shock, ecstasy, and an indescribable bitterness.
Things that he had struggled for so long to reach, yet were out of reach, were nothing more than a simple favor for others.
Just as Ariel was stunned by this huge surprise, Cynthia, who was standing to the side, gently frowned.
Since Steven had already made such an offer, if she, the person whose life had been saved, didn't make a gesture, it would seem too inconsiderate.
Moreover, she saw the limitations of Steven's "manuals."
"Steven, manuals are indeed valuable, but Psychic training is more about guidance and practice."
Cynthia's voice was cool and pleasant, instantly drawing both of their attention.
She looked at Ariel with a sincere gaze:
"Our Sinnoh Rowan Research Institute has some cooperative projects with the Mossdeep City Space Center, and my family also has some connections with the Mossdeep City Psychic Gym; the Gym Leaders, Tate and Liza, also know me."
Her words were spoken very flatly, but the information they contained was like a bombshell, exploding in Ariel's mind.
Mossdeep Gym?
That pair of twin Gym Leaders famous for Double Battles and Psychic?
Cynthia, a Trainer from the Sinnoh region, actually knows them too?
Ariel felt his worldview being refreshed time and time again.
This couldn't be described as just "connections"; this was prying open the gates to Rome for him!
Theoretical knowledge is important, but having a top-tier teacher—or rather, two—personally guiding him, the value of this… is simply immeasurable!
Ariel finally understood why it was said that behind a Champion stands a massive family.
This kind of network and resources is simply not something an ordinary Trainer can imagine.
Seeing the colorful expression on Ariel's face, Cynthia couldn't help but let a faint smile appear at the corner of her mouth.
"If you are willing, I can write a letter of recommendation for you to go to the Mossdeep Gym to study systematically for a period of time; with the guidance of Tate and Liza, your Psychic will definitely be developed and used in the most correct way."
Her eyes were clear and sincere, without a hint of charity, only pure goodwill and reciprocation.
One was "manuals" found through company connections, the other was "personal instruction" directly recommended to top experts.
This multiple-choice question didn't need any thought at all.
Ariel took a deep breath, suppressing the surging waves in his heart; he bowed solemnly to Cynthia.
"Then… thank you."
There was no excessive politeness, nor any hypocritical refusal.
He knew that accepting this kindness was the best way to repay her.
Under Cynthia's genuine gaze, Ariel nodded slowly, agreeing to her proposal.
He knew that from this moment on, a brand-new path leading to the pinnacle of power had slowly unfolded beneath his feet.