"Car~bink!!!"
However, Carbink's reaction was even more intense than Terrance had imagined. With a firm attitude, it rejected Terrance's invitation.
In response, Terrance revealed an expression of "just as I thought," and said, "Is it because you want to protect your companions?"
Terrance's guess made Carbink pause for a moment, then it nodded.
This Carbink's abilities were far superior to those of the others. From using Stealth Rock for warning, to setting up dual walls to hinder opponents, and even moving objects with telekinesis, Terrance could tell that this Carbink had put great effort into practicing moves for the sake of protecting its companions. Its personality and talent earned Terrance's admiration.
Terrance also knew that capturing a Pokémon who held the position of leader wasn't usually the best choice, but it was rare to encounter a Carbink that suited his taste, so he had to think of another way.
"But with your strength, you still can't truly protect your companions, can you?" Terrance said.
"How about we make a bet? I'll train your companions for seven days. After those seven days, I'll have them strong enough to defeat you. If you lose, that proves they don't need your protection, and you will become my Pokémon. If you win, I promise never to disturb you again."
"This way, it doesn't harm you at all, does it?"
At this moment, Terrance held the advantage. With the Carbink clearly weaker than his side, they had no way to refuse. Terrance's proposal served two purposes: to gain the Carbink leader's trust, and also to help it relieve its worries.
Terrance stood there quietly, watching the Carbink. Ralts stood beside him, Mismagius floated nearby, and even Rotom Pokédex had fallen silent. Terrance's group waited for Carbink's response. Creating this kind of atmosphere was meant to put a little pressure on Carbink.
"Car…bink!"
The Carbink leader looked at its companions, then at Terrance, and nodded reluctantly.
It didn't dare refuse. If it did, considering the strength Terrance's Pokémon had just displayed, it could already judge that none of them would be able to escape.
Seeing this response, Terrance smiled. If Carbink had remained truly stubborn, there wasn't much he could do, forcing things rarely led to good results. But if he could spend more time with Carbink, Terrance believed that with his skills, he could surely earn its recognition.
Just then, a voice called from the distance. It turned out Jessica had been searching the area for Terrance and had finally found him here.
"In a sense… well, I guess it's thanks to her leading me here that I found this Carbink," Terrance sighed. He felt this was something he was forcing himself to say, as though trying to acknowledge her contribution.
...
...
After recalling Gallade and Ralts, Terrance followed the Carbink back to their cave. Of course, Jessica had already left.
Earlier, Terrance had offered to give her some reward, but she quickly refused. Jessica said she only wanted to help make up for things by helping him find Carbink, not to act as a guide in exchange for payment. Faced with Jessica's attitude, Terrance could only offer his thanks helplessly.
Seeing Terrance successfully find Carbink, Jessica understood her task was done and didn't feel right about staying to bother him further.
Her departure made Terrance feel much more at ease. Without someone tagging along, he felt completely relaxed. Following the Carbink back to their cave, Terrance began negotiating once again about the bet he had proposed earlier.
Before him were seven Carbink, seemingly a small team. One of them was the leader, the very Carbink Terrance had set his sights on. The remaining six Carbink, however, were not only timid in nature but also unremarkable in ability. Even a slightly experienced rookie Trainer could deal with them. Terrance's next task was to train these six Carbink for a week, so that they could defeat the strongest one among them.
It wasn't difficult to make these six Carbink capable of beating the leader within seven days. The real challenge was how to make them willingly accept his training and, in the end, battle against their own companion.
However, Terrance only thought about this problem for three seconds before coming up with a solution.
Mismagius slowly revealed itself. At Terrance's reminder, the seven Carbink that had just returned to the cave were gathered, and six of them were about to face Terrance's first lesson.
The Carbink leader scrutinized Terrance, wanting to see what kind of skill he had to train its six companions. But what it didn't expect was that, as Mismagius chanted its incantation, the six Carbink fell into the Illusionary Space without the slightest resistance, collapsing unconscious.
Inside the Illusionary Space, what was but a moment outside became countless experiences within.
In that short span of time, the six Carbink lived through the destruction of their habitat, themselves and their companions being captured by poachers, and then being processed into art pieces, their lives ultimately extinguished.
Before Mismagius's Elite Four–level psychic power, not one of these Carbink realized they had fallen into an illusion. Within it, they experienced pain, separation, death, weakness, and helplessness—a true taste of the most despairing kind of experience.
"Car!! bink!!" Watching its companions collapse one after another, the leader cried out in fury.
But after Terrance gestured for it to remain calm, it was astonished to see its companions one by one standing back up again.
Yet, when the leader looked into their eyes, it quickly realized something had changed. In those eyes was the gaze of ones who had just gone through despair, who had seen no hope.
"Mismagius, help them recover," Terrance said. As Mismagius cast an incantation that can make people happy, the six Carbink swiftly recovered. However, the experience just now had already left a shadow in their hearts.
The six Carbink, who had recovered, looked around in confusion. As they gradually recognized their surroundings, fragments of memories began returning to them.
Those abrupt experiences, contrasted with their current state, left them even more bewildered.
"Don't be surprised. What you just experienced was only an illusion. But perhaps one day it may become reality. Tell me, did you feel the helplessness that comes from being weak?" Terrance asked softly.
"If you did, and if you want to rid yourselves of weakness, then from this moment, you will begin training with me."
The six Carbink still wore bewildered expressions, but soon the memories welled up again. As the powerlessness of their experience struck them once more, they shook their heads vigorously and turned their eyes toward their leader, the Carbink that had always been helping them.
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