Psychic power is not only potent but absurdly convenient—Hikaru had long known that. What he hadn't expected was that Caitlin also had a trick straight out of "Moses parting the sea."
By wrapping herself in a sheath of powerful mental energy, she could avoid triggering mechanisms—and even push seawater aside.
But the deep sea has water pressure. On that front, psychic power isn't all-purpose. You can form a sturdy barrier sphere and sink, sure—but if a Pokémon attacks and your focus wavers, your mental power could flicker, and that gets dangerous fast.
Caitlin was in high spirits. Wearing that gothic outfit to the seaside drew plenty of eyes from swimmers and vacationers. One look at her bearing and fashion told them she was a refined young lady—no one dared try a clumsy pickup.
Besides, Hikaru mused, if they aren't afraid of being psychically yeeted… they can try.
"The scenery's nice. No direct sun today—fog everywhere, the scent of water is rich, the wind's brisk… Let's train here."
"My months of work—controlling mental power, steering telekinetic force, and the insights I've gathered…"
At the shore, Caitlin explained in detail how she'd been practicing.
Hikaru: "First try drawing your mental power out as filaments… I've drilled that with my Pokémon—is this like forming psychic blades?"
Caitlin nodded lightly. "Yes. The finer the mental filaments, the truer a psychic's control."
"Most people practice via meditation, but some don't suit meditation—like me."
"Intense emotion is the foundation. You don't suppress it—you release it without reservation. At first your control is rough. Gradually you feel its path—let that feeling saturate every corner of the world around you, so each grain of sand becomes an extension of your energy."
She pointed a pale finger at a large rock by the surf. Under her power, the rock lifted—and seawater spread away from it in an even ring.
"Though we're using psychic power, this isn't Telekinesis the move as 'pure lift.' It's intent-borne conveyance. The effect may look similar, but it's a different technique."
"Apply that state to yourself and you 'isolate' your body from the outside. Then even without raw telekinesis, you can 'fly,' even climb to high altitude, unbothered by external change."
"You know Claydol, right?"
Hikaru recalled the Pokédex lore:
"Ancient clay dolls animated by strange light—becoming Pokémon."
"In heavy rain their bodies are said to dissolve, so they wrap themselves in psychic force to keep dry."
Caitlin nodded.
"Yes—manifestations of mind: intention, thought, feeling. What matters isn't 'Telekinesis' itself but the essence of psychic power. I knew that since childhood but couldn't control it."
"Tenchou, your power isn't just sunlight and heart. You have other facets, don't you?"
Hikaru inclined his head, set his focus on that rock holding the sea at bay, and pressed lightly.
An unseen wave of will burst outward like surf. The rock thrummed; ripples widened across the sea around it.
Light brightened in Caitlin's eyes. She'd already "seen" it beforehand, but face-to-face:
"Your Extrasensory has grown stronger."
Hikaru winced. "So you already knew. Ojou-sama… just how long have you been tailing me?"
Caitlin said nothing.
Which, really, said everything.
The air went awkward.
"…Nosy. I just think your travels are interesting. And I only observe the area around you—I can't see you yourself."
She added that last bit, then her gaze drifted.
When had she truly been drawn in?
Relic Castle, Nimbasa City, Celestial Tower, "Mountain Road Town"*…
His journey wasn't like hers—full of delight and impossibilities. Watching the changes around him each day had become its own joy.
What new thing would tomorrow bring?
Sometimes, even a few hours later, a heartbeat-pounding battle would erupt.
She kept wondering day after day—and in her heart wished he'd come to Undella Town soon. She'd kept thinking of him like that…
Her lashes trembled. She hummed softly and shifted topics:
"Extrasensory—a strange, wondrous power. Generally, only Pokémon called 'gods' possess it—but 'gods' can mean many things. Not just the mythic ones."
"Bronzong, Togekiss, Claydol, Shiftry, Ninetales… in different places, each has been called a 'god'."
"Unlike basic Psychic, only a minority of Pokémon—and psychics—obtain Extrasensory."
"With Extrasensory, expanding your mind into every corner of nature is easier. The difference is that Psychic power comes from yourself, but Extrasensory draws from the world."
"In base power, Psychic is stronger. But Extrasensory triggers uncanny phenomena through nature."
Hikaru listened, working through Caitlin's guidance.
[Gained: Caitlin's Psychic Notes!]
[Description: Training insights from Caitlin on how to better control and wield psychic power. For those unsuited to meditation, a pathway of emotional release develops—flood your surrounding space with heart-force, then perceive and control with the mind.]
He digested the notes and began to practice.
Mind stretched outward. There's no forest at Undella, but the sea and its rocks are nature too.
A surge of heart-force made Caitlin glance over. She could feel how strong that power was—perhaps even stronger than her own.
But Tenchou's control was crude; he couldn't bring out the full effect.
"You're unconsciously throttling it—like fitting a tiny valve. If that great heart-force fully unfurled, I might be the one suppressed."
She murmured as a slipstream rose around Hikaru. Her eyes narrowed with focus.
Hikaru felt his mind expanding—and the sigil Palkia had granted him quietly glowed.
The heart is an endlessly extending space.
At first a little; then higher, higher.
The sound of waves dimmed. That space grew tranquil—like the mind of the person before her.
This wasn't meditation. It was projecting heart and thought across the space, weaving will into force—another form of psychic art, akin to Zen Headbutt in move-form.
Its name matched that "conveyance of intent."
Caitlin didn't specialize in the ancient, esoteric ways of Extrasensory's communion, but her power's roots were planted in a rich loam of heart.
The storms of feeling she sometimes unleashed were proof enough.
Now, seeing Hikaru so quickly grasp the trick of saturating space with mind—his form a bit wobbly, yet already floating—
In the depths of Caitlin's gaze, that trace of envy melted into something more complex, softer.
Her talent was undeniably great—but like a double-edged blade, hard to wield.
Only those with both superior gift and precise command deserve to be called truly "gifted."
If her younger self had possessed a mind as clear and steady as his—and control as delicate—then perhaps those bans on battling, those fears of hurting others… might never have been.
"…Amazing."
Her voice was lighter than the sea breeze, genuine awe lest she spook that newborn balance in the air. "You've already touched the essence of filling space with mind."
"But your flight still… sticks a little. Let me help you tune it."
This time the praise came straight from her heart.
She clapped softly—pale, slender palms making a faint, crisp sound.
A gentle pink aura rose around her. She lifted gracefully from the sand; her hem fluttered like petals as she hovered a bit higher than Hikaru, looking down with fond focus.
"Psychic transmission often rides on shared feeling."
Her eyes rested on him, unreadably intent.
"Tenchou, you have a gift for linking to others' hearts. The most direct—and effective—guide is to let our minds sync for a moment."
"Great power needs a thousand temperings to tame. If I can help with your goals, I will."
"But to cross the last gate—you'll still need your own strength. Though…"
Her lips curved, a quiet confidence warming her tone.
"For you, I doubt that will be a problem."
"Come." She raised her palm; her fingertips curled with understated grace.
"Take my hand. I'll make a special exception."
Hikaru smiled, honest. He'd never actually been a butler; all those elaborate courtesies were far from him.
"I might be a bit rude—my posture won't be textbook. Please forgive me, sensei."
"It's fine."
Her voice brushed like a feather over the heart. Her features fully relaxed, warmth rippling through her eyes; her lips softened into a gentle curve.
"Do as you feel. Let it be natural."
Hikaru nodded, purely focused, reached out—
And simply wrapped his palm around Caitlin's cool fingertips.
His grip was a touch firm—earnest, a little clumsy with youthful strength.
Then two powerful psychic forces met. The very air trembled.
"…Mmh." Caitlin breathed—adjusting her rhythm. A wry note.
"Guiding a current isn't about squeezing harder."
"Ah—sorry." Hikaru was sheepish.
His power had grown so much that even a normal handshake used too much force. He really did need to find time to tune his output.
The Training Rock would be a fine place to hone himself through martial practice.
Caitlin's voice dipped, gentle with instruction. Her fingers moved minutely within his grip—like tuning a precious instrument.
"Try relaxing. Let the mental filaments flow on their own. Let them wind, resonate like a breeze… then fill the space around you with that power."
"After that—you'll be unbound. You'll fly freely."
She looked up; their eyes met again. This time, besides teaching focus, a hard-to-name glow shimmered there.
Mistlit moonlight—hazy, inviting.
"Your aura… is warm. And… reassuring."
She left it there—no deeper explanation for what sat behind that "reassuring."
It was both an objective read on his power and her secret, truest feeling now—a strange peace and reliance born from his presence.
Why had she peered at Tenchou's journey? At first curiosity and gratitude—but little by little, she'd projected a certain ideal onto him.
A journey never called monstrous—one from dreams.
Perhaps she'd wished for a powerful psychic to lead her from that old abyss.
Or perhaps, when strong psychics' heart-walls begin to crack, they naturally draw each other in.
If it were Mr. Will—a cheerful mask over troubles—time would ease the mind.
If it were Miss Sabrina—too shuttered within—she'd veer to another extreme until someone defeated her.
Caitlin had teetered between those two—walking a tightrope. Calm, she could accept anything; exhilarated, she could shatter everything.
But Tenchou was the ideal type of psychic.
Heart-type power ruled out the risk of runaway—he could heal himself.
He could craft special tools to soothe other psychics. Of course psychics would be drawn to him.
"…A bit unsteady. Your intent isn't transmitting smoothly—and the space around you feels… hollow."
Hikaru felt the flow, but expanding that power into a precise, body-hugging envelope wasn't simple. Caitlin's own feel was completely different:
"Ojou-sama's handling is like water—silky. That's the fruit of training, huh."
Caitlin's lips quirked with quiet pride. "Naturally. I'm Elite Four now."
Her fingers pressed ever so slightly—not pressure, more an unconscious confirming touch.
"Now, sync with me. Follow my lead."
With her words, a pure, gentle pink force flowed from her fingertips—not a drag line but a mild tide that buoyed Hikaru's power.
From outside, their "flight lesson" looked more like a dance in the sky.
"The moment's right—jump. Now, learn to turn—pivot smoothly."
"Let's dance in the air."
Caitlin whispered, amused.
Every earnest "step," each small wobble from a lost balance, brimmed with life and reassuring realness to her.
It reminded her of the fluster of her first try at control when she was little.
A pebble into a heart-lake; rings of "delight" fanned wide.
"Here it comes… that surging power!"
With Caitlin's help, that great psychic flow spiraled into Hikaru's chest—and helped him refine the outward shape of Extrasensory!
Her power was like the deep sea—placid on the surface, fathomless within.
Hikaru couldn't help muttering in his heart:
"So this is a top-class psychic—the sea itself! It's like ancient will made flesh."
By level of raw power, Will and Sabrina likely fell short of Caitlin; but in manipulation, those two surpassed her.
Yet the ojou-sama, while rougher at fine control, could simply… throw bricks with sheer force.
And in the specials she could ping gym leaders' minds with brainwaves. If you can output enough, you don't need tiny tricks.
His sense of space magnified severalfold. The unseen "currents" stopped being fuzzy and became strands with distinct "viscosities" and "directions."
Learn. Imitate. Surpass!
Each successful "sync" stabilized his posture in the air—as if solid, transparent steps rose underfoot.
The speed of progress under a strong guide filled Hikaru with pure focus and thrill.
Fun. Very fun.
The dance smoothed into grace!
[Acquired: Noble's Dance.]
[Description: A suite of ballroom forms favored by nobles and royals—waltz, foxtrot, tango, rumba, etc. In Kalos, "making friends by ball" is all the rage.]
[Coordination +50%! Aerial Dance +100%!]
[Unlocked Path: Sky Trainer / Pokémon Coordinator!]
[Acquired: Telekinesis!]
[Description: A special psychic technique that ignores type matchups—levitates the foe; all non-OHKO moves hit; Ground-type moves cannot connect. By wrapping your body in mind-force, you isolate from the environment. Compared to Psychic or Extrasensory, mastering Telekinesis lets you move more freely through different spaces.]
[Psychic Control +50%.]
It was rigorous training—and a silent, joyful "pas de deux."
Caitlin was more and more surprised.
His growth outpaced her expectations. She'd been guiding him… but now she was subtly being guided by him!
She prepared to detail how to anticipate a turn and lead him through a smooth arc.
But in the heartbeat when her intent stirred—before her power finished pulling—
She felt the line she'd been running get gently picked up by an even more natural, fluid current!
"When you dance, you think one step ahead—feel the energy's vector, the place you want to land. Turn freely—steer intent to the destination!"
"I've got it, Ojou-sama. How do you feel now?"
Hikaru had fully grasped control of Telekinesis.
Caitlin's mood brightened.
A curious feeling brewed in her chest.
Teaching someone to fly could be so simple, so wondrous a joy—and she'd finally done something Shilan used to do: pass power to another.
Proof of growth.
With their minds linked, Tenchou's trust without impurity—his single-minded, concentrated will—came through whole.
"Ideal… another me," she whispered.
A subtle mix of envy, admiration, reliance—and something softer—took root.
A tremor even she didn't fully understand.
"Not bad." Caitlin smiled at him, voice low. "You pass."
——
The flight lesson ended quickly.
The true expedition awaited.
Composed, Caitlin pointed toward the shore now fully covered by psychic force.
"Let's head down. I'm looking forward to this survey."
"Mm—and Team Plasma's already gathered nearby. They're on the islets off Undella Bay, trying to enter the Abyssal Ruins—quite a crowd."
Caitlin released a blue, jellyfish-like Pokémon.
"I borrowed this Jellicent from Shauntal. He'll guide us to the Ruins. Most of his body is made of the same components as seawater; he can reach extreme depths."
She didn't yawn once—just stared straight at the sea, excitement breaking through, already eager to plunge in.
Clearly, this would be her first ruin dive.
Hikaru sent out Walking Wake.
"Good—then let's learn Dive."
Walking Wake growled, a touch tense eyeing Caitlin.
Whoa—this woman's energy is high! Humans with this kind of pressure are rare!
He quickly refocused, gazing out across the endless sea. After Hikaru taught him via the HM method, Walking Wake learned the move.
"Rooaar!"
Having learned a new trick, the ancient beast couldn't wait to dive and fish!
"Let's try it."
"Walking Wake—Dive!"
Hikaru mounted Walking Wake; Caitlin took Jellicent. Two Water-types split the surf and, under a veil of psychic force, plunged into the blue.
With psychic shielding, there was no need for gear—they could come and go freely. Hikaru couldn't help recalling Ash in Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.
The Sea Crown grants the People of the Water—or the right person—the "power to roam the sea." A stone-cold classic.
"It's begun. Near the Abyssal Ruins, there's a repulsive force—mental in nature, fused with the environment. You can't erase it. Fortunately, it isn't hostile—it just turns passersby aside."
"If your heart holds the wrong intent, you can't even find the place…"
Caitlin's voice arrived mind-to-mind. "Near the Ruins, my foresight fails. An uncanny energy saturates this sea."
As they descended, the light thinned. Directions blurred.
Their psychic fields kept pressure and currents at bay.
Hikaru thumbed Riolu's Poké Ball and followed its aura. A vast, ancient complex resolved from the gloom.
"Roo-luu~" Walking Wake swept on, tail ribboning. Like a dragon-shaped great fish, he flared with excitement at the yawning entrance—then bore Hikaru in.
Splash—!
At the instant they crossed in, the water fell away. Unlike the games' cavern-flood, this was closer to the manga: not much water inside—a navigable undersea cavern.
By design.
Like the ocean-drifting Temple of the Sea, Samiya, these places were dry within—unless you tripped certain devices, which would flood you out.
A red monolith loomed into view—inscribed with deep, hard-to-read characters.
Hikaru read aloud:
"Oh brave one, heed the king's words."
(End of Chapter)
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