If only this vast ocean could be harnessed for my own use...
A thought, bold to the point of insanity, took shape in his mind—could he become the first Pokémon in human form in the true sense?
He looked up, his gaze meeting the eyes of Tate and Liza, which were filled with shock and doubt.
Their expressions were as if they had seen an Oddish suddenly speak human language, a mixture of shock, confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible wariness.
Ariel felt a shiver in his heart and instantly suppressed all his outward emotions completely.
This secret concerned Mewtwo, concerned his greatest trump card, and must never be exposed in the slightest.
He cleared his somewhat dry throat and spoke, feigning confusion:
"I... I don't know what happened either. My mind was a mess just now, and then it became like this. By the way, is this... considered having talent?"
His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, like a student who had just won a grand prize but was worried the lottery ticket might be fake.
Liza's brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with contemplation.
She said hesitantly:
"It's very strange. The awakening of a Psychic user is usually divided into innate and acquired. The vast majority of those standing at the pinnacle are nature's darlings, possessing mental power far exceeding ordinary people from the moment they are born. As for those who awaken later... to be honest, their achievements are generally limited. According to the information provided by Ms. Cynthia, Mr. Ariel, you should be the latter."
Tate took over the conversation, staring intently at Ariel, as if trying to discern some clue from his face:
"Ariel, when you were using Calm Mind just now, what exactly did you see? What is your mental world like?"
"Giant waves."
Ariel uttered two words concisely.
The air seemed to freeze.
Tate and Liza exchanged a look, both seeing the horror in each other's eyes.
"Giant waves?"
Tate's voice was slightly distorted.
"Are you sure it's giant waves?"
"Yes."
"This..."
Tate took a deep breath, trying to use the knowledge he had learned to explain this unprecedented phenomenon.
"The form of the sea of the mind directly determines a Psychic user's potential. The calmer and more mirror-like the water surface is, the purer the mental power, the stronger the plasticity, and the broader the future path. Conversely, the more turbulent the water surface, the more impure the mental power, the harder it is to control, and the lower the potential. My sea of the mind is a lake with gentle ripples, which is already considered a good talent among peers. But... but I have never heard of anyone whose sea of the mind is giant waves!"
Liza's expression also became serious. She continued where Tate left off, her tone tinged with a hint of pity:
"Tate is right. If developing Psychic power is compared to building structures on water, then a calm water surface is the best foundation. But giant waves... mean your foundation is constantly shaking violently. Under such circumstances, wanting to develop your own abilities would be a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than for an ordinary person. Even... it's possible there is no room for upward development at all."
"No room for development?"
Ariel repeated this sentence in a low voice, but his eyes were startlingly bright.
Although Ariel appeared slightly disappointed on the surface, a conjecture was quietly taking shape in his heart.
Others are lakes or streams; the development difficulty is low, but the upper limit is also set there.
And what about him?
His is a vast ocean!
Laying a foundation on a vast ocean is naturally hell-level difficulty.
But once successful, even if it's just building a small reef, its magnitude would be far beyond what a stream or river could compare to!
The source of this power is Mewtwo; its specifications are not even in the same dimension as human Psychic powers to begin with.
Measuring it by human standards is a mistake in itself.
Theory is ultimately theory; practice is the only criterion for testing truth.
Ariel raised his head, looking at Tate with burning eyes:
"Now, can I have a try? I want to see exactly what level I have reached."
Seeing the confidence in Ariel's eyes, Tate, although filled with doubts, nodded and turned to carry a half-person-high solid wooden stake from the corner of the training room.
With a "thud," the wooden stake was placed heavily on the ground, kicking up a circle of dust.
This wooden stake was made of hard iron birch, specially used for Fighting-type Pokémon to practice punches and kicks; even for an ordinary person, it would take a lot of effort to cut it with an axe.
Ariel walked to the wooden stake and took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes and sank into that vast ocean of the mind again.
This time, it was no longer aimless drifting, but active control.
He could clearly feel that purple energy obediently following his commands, like an extension of his own arm.
He opened his eyes, and a faint, almost imperceptible flash of purple light flickered deep in his pupils.
He didn't raise his hand, just moved his mind.
Hum—
The heavy wooden stake floated up without warning, half a meter off the ground, stopping steadily in the air.
The whole process was smooth and silky, without a shred of trembling or strain.
Just this one move had already made Tate and Liza widen their eyes.
But this was just the beginning.
Ariel's gaze was fixed on the wooden stake in the air, his mental power like an invisible giant hand, slowly tightening.
"Creak... creak..."
The hard iron birch stake let out an overwhelmed groan, and fine cracks began to appear on its surface.
Tate's mouth opened slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Liza subconsciously covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The cracks became more numerous and deeper, rapidly covering the entire wooden stake like a spider web.
The next second.
"Pop!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a dull, soft sound.
As if a biscuit had been crushed.
The entire solid wooden stake disintegrated in the air instantly, turning into a cloud of flying wood chips and powder, which drifted down with a rustling sound.
In the training room, there was a deathly silence.
The air was filled with the dusty smell of wood chips, and the sunlight shining in from the window illuminated the flying dust clearly.
Tate and Liza stood frozen in place, like two stone statues, their minds blank.
All the common sense about Psychic powers they had learned and understood was shattered in the face of this scene.
So-called no room for development, is this what it means?
And Ariel, looking at the mess all over the floor, feeling that power still surging within him, smiled in his heart.
The conjecture was verified.
No matter how much a stream is developed, it is ultimately a stream.
And his vast ocean, needing only to raise a small wave, is enough to overturn rivers!
This path of his was perhaps different from everyone else's from the very beginning.
***************************
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to drop a review, leave a comment, and smash that like button! Every Power Stone helps push the story further—thanks for reading and supporting! 🚀