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The psychic energy leaking from Eevee's evolving body continued to intensify.
At first, it had simply filled the room like an invisible mist. Now the energy had become almost tangible. Every breath Silas took carried traces of psychic power, and a faint pressure settled over everyone present. Even the pokemon without any psychic affinity instinctively lowered their voices. Something extraordinary was taking place.
Electabuzz stared intently at the glowing cocoon before turning toward Silas.
"Boss, I believe this will be beneficial to us as psychics if we absorb this."
Silas closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the energy surrounding him.
Electabuzz was right.
This wasn't violent psychic power like one would encounter in battle. It was incredibly pure, almost gentle. It felt as though Eevee's body simply couldn't contain all the psychic energy being generated during the evolution, allowing the excess to spill into the surroundings.
A rare opportunity had appeared before them.
"Alright,"
Silas replied through their psychic link.
"Let's take advantage of it."
Without wasting another second, Silas crossed his legs and sat down on the smooth stone floor. Electabuzz mirrored him, taking a seat directly opposite his trainer.
The pair closed their eyes simultaneously before circulating their psychic energy according to the meditation method Hermes had optimized months ago.
The effect was immediate.
Silas could feel loose strands of psychic energy drifting toward him naturally, almost as if they wanted to be absorbed.
He carefully guided the energy through his mind, compressing it repeatedly before allowing it to merge with his own psychic core.
His breathing gradually slowed.
The outside world seemed to fade away.
His awareness expanded little by little until he could sense every living presence inside the room without relying on his eyes.
The emotions of his pokemon became clearer, their individual psychic signatures more distinct than ever before.
Across from him, Electabuzz absorbed the surrounding energy at an astonishing rate. The electric pokemon had always possessed tremendous talent as a psychic.
Streams of pale violet energy visibly flowed toward him before disappearing beneath his yellow fur.
Minutes passed, then an hour but still, nobody moved.
The room itself had become unnaturally quiet. Monferno stood guard in front of Eevee's cocoon while Ursaring remained beside him, watching every captured pokemon carefully. Even Queen Beedrill had stopped struggling after being returned to her Pokeball. There was nothing left to fight.
Only silence remained.
Silas gradually noticed subtle changes within himself.
His thoughts became clearer.
Calculations that previously required conscious effort now happened instinctively. His perception sharpened to a degree he had never experienced before. Without opening his eyes, he could accurately judge the position of every pokemon inside the room.
Hermes had once explained that psychic power was far more than telekinesis and telepathy.
True psychics possessed superior perception, memory, concentration, and comprehension. Telekinesis and telepathy was merely one application of those enhanced mental abilities.
For too long, Silas had viewed psychic power as little more than a convenient method of communication.
The battle above the S.S. Anne had shattered that misconception.
Without telekinesis, he would never have been able to save everyone after Salamence's devastating Draco Meteor.
That realization had remained with him ever since. Now he embraced this opportunity wholeheartedly.
The psychic energy flowing into him became denser. His mind continued compressing it over and over until something gave way.
It wasn't painful. Instead, it felt as though an invisible wall had quietly dissolved.
Silas instinctively understood what had happened.
He had broken through.
A refreshing sensation washed over his entire body as the psychic energy circulating within him became dramatically smoother. His control improved almost instantly.
Without consciously trying, several empty berry bottles lying nearby floated gently into the air.
Silas slowly opened his eyes.
The bottles rotated lazily before settling back onto the ground.
A smile spread across his face.
"I've reached the Intermediate realm."
Months of cultivation had finally borne fruit.
Across from him, Electabuzz also opened his eyes.
Unlike Silas, there was little excitement on his face. However, the psychic pressure radiating from his body had become noticeably more refined.
Silas immediately consulted Hermes.
"Hermes, analyze Electabuzz."
"Analysis complete."
"Electabuzz has successfully advanced into the Pseudo Advanced Psychic realm."
Silas nodded in satisfaction. He had expected as much.
Electabuzz's psychic talent had always surpassed his own. Rather than feeling jealous, Silas felt relieved. The stronger Electabuzz became, the stronger their team became.
Silas glanced toward Eevee.
The cocoon of light still shone brilliantly.
Although the psychic energy leaking into the room had lessened slightly, there remained an enormous amount dispersing into the surroundings.
A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Hermes, would the others benefit from meditating?"
"There is a high probability. While they cannot directly cultivate psychic power, prolonged exposure may improve cognitive development and facilitate learning concentration-based techniques."
Silas stood immediately.
"Everyone."
The pokemon all turned toward him.
"Sit down."
Most of them looked confused. Monferno understood first. He calmly crossed his legs and sat beside Silas without asking questions.
Tropius carefully folded her legs beneath her enormous body before lowering herself to the ground.
Ursaring awkwardly copied Monferno's posture, scratching his head in confusion.
Scyther tilted his head before eventually following suit.
Trapinch squirmed constantly.
Pichu looked around curiously before sitting beside James' future partner.
Even Frogadier emerged from Silas' shadow to participate.
Silas spent several minutes teaching them basic breathing techniques.
Initially, it was a disaster.
Trapinch couldn't remain still for longer than thirty seconds.
Scyther kept opening one eye to see what everyone else was doing.
Ursaring repeatedly shifted around, clearly uncomfortable.
Silas chuckled despite himself.
"Meditation isn't about forcing your thoughts away. Let them come and go naturally. Simply focus on your breathing."
Gradually, everything settled.
The room returned to silence as hours slipped by unnoticed. Everyone simply absorbed the peaceful atmosphere created by Eevee's evolution.
Hermes eventually interrupted the silence.
"Noticeable changes detected."
Silas slowly opened his eyes.
"What changes?"
"Tropius, Monferno, and Ursaring have successfully learned the move Calm Mind."
Silas immediately scanned the trio. Monferno had reached Rank D mastery. Tropius had likewise achieved Rank D. Ursaring however, had Rank F.
Silas couldn't help smiling.
That result suited Ursaring perfectly. His bear pokemon had never excelled at delicate techniques. The fact that he had learned Calm Mind at all was already impressive.
"Hermes, anything else?"
"All pokemon present have demonstrated varying increases in intelligence."
Silas looked around the room once more.
Now that Hermes mentioned it, he could see subtle differences.
Trapinch appeared calmer than before. Scyther's gaze looked noticeably sharper. Tropius now carried herself with greater composure.
Silas nodded approvingly.
"Eevee really gave everyone a gift."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the psychic pressure surged. It exploded outward with far greater intensity than before.
Everyone instinctively stood.
The cocoon surrounding Eevee expanded until it nearly touched the ceiling. Brilliant violet light filled every corner of the training room as streams of psychic energy spiraled around one another like miniature galaxies.
Silas remained just outside the cocoon. He could feel countless layers of psychic power intertwining.
The transformation continued for a long time before the cocoon finally burst open and light flooded the room.
Silas instinctively shielded his eyes.
When the brilliance finally faded, a sleek feline pokemon stood where Eevee once had.
Her soft lavender fur seemed to shimmer beneath the room's lights.
A crimson gem rested proudly upon her forehead while two graceful tails swayed gently behind her.
Silas slowly approached before kneeling beside her.
"You have become quite the majestic pokemon."
Espeon happily rubbed her head against his shoulder. Silas gently scratched beneath her chin before activating his scan.
Espeon (F) — Level 36
Ability: Magic Bounce
Potential: A-
Moves: Rank B Calm Mind, Rank B Stored Power, Rank B Bite, Rank C Growl, Rank C Double Kick, Rank C Tail Whip, Rank C Quick Attack, Rank C Morning Sun, Rank C Psybeam, Rank C Wish, Rank C Confusion, Rank C Protect, Rank D Teleport
Silas stared at the results.
He had expected improvement but not by this much.
"Hermes, elaborated."
"The accumulated psychic energy within Eevee prior to evolution finally assimilated fully with it. The Potential Enhancement Potion amplified this process. The resulting synergy increased Espeon's potential by two minor stages while allowing immediate assimilation of numerous psychic techniques."
Silas slowly nodded.
Months of training, daily psychic crystal cultivation, countless uses of Calm Mind, and the specially prepared potion.
Every investment had culminated in today's evolution. Espeon hadn't merely evolved. She had undergone a complete qualitative transformation.
As Silas continued admiring his newest partner, a soft feminine voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
"Boss!"
Silas froze.
"Can you understand me now?"
He looked around instinctively before lowering his gaze toward Espeon.
She smiled innocently.
Realization dawned on him.
"You…You can use telepathy."
Espeon's tails flicked happily.
"Yes. I wanted to surprise you."
Silas laughed.
Now they could communicate instantly without relying on Electabuzz as an intermediary. Their coordination in battle would become even smoother than before.
"Hermes. Compare Espeon's psychic power to mine and Electabuzz's."
The response came quick.
"Espeon's psychic power currently exceeds the combined psychic energy of yourself and Electabuzz by approximately twofold."
Silas blinked. He was doing his best not to get too excited.
Hermes continued.
"She possesses extraordinary Psychic affinity. Based upon current analysis, there are virtually no conventional psychic techniques she should be incapable of learning. The only likely exceptions are signature techniques unique to divine or legendary pokemon."
Silas slowly looked back toward Espeon.
She tilted her head curiously, completely unaware of the significance of Hermes' words.
Silas reached down and gently rested his hand upon the crimson gem embedded in her forehead.
"It looks like you might become the strongest psychic on this team one day."
Espeon purred happily before curling against his side.
Silas smiled.
The Trial Island had only just begun.
Already, his team had taken another tremendous step toward the strength they sought.
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Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 100k views and chapter 100.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!