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In fact, by the time Sato drank the tenth bottle of Tranquilizing Tonic, he had already successfully broken through the 100-point threshold in mental strength, officially becoming a genuine Beginner Psychic.
Just as stated in the restrictions section of the Tranquilizing Tonic's documentation, the more one drank it, the less effective it became at enhancing mental strength.
By the time Sato drank the twelfth bottle, he clearly felt that the potion's effects had dropped to rock bottom. Using Mind Beads to test his mental strength, he found that this time he had only gained 3 points.
Because of this, Sato stopped drinking the potion and carefully stored away the remaining two precious bottles for future use—perhaps as valuable bargaining chips in trades with others.
"Bad guy, it seems like you've gotten a lot stronger now. Of course, you're still far below my level, but I suppose you're finally worthy of standing alongside me."
Sensing the waves of psychic energy now emanating from Sato, Natu's gaze softened with a rare trace of respect. She flew up to his left shoulder, lifted her tiny beak proudly, and spoke to him via telepathy in her usual haughty tone.
"Is that so? Well then, I truly appreciate your recognition."
Hearing Natu's words and seeing her actions, Sato couldn't help but show a wry smile. He gently poked her on the head, and with a faint flicker of blue psychic light in his eyes, responded to her via telepathy as well.
After advancing to a Beginner Psychic, Sato found that basic psychic techniques such as psychic sensing, telepathy, and telekinesis seemed to come naturally—he mastered them almost effortlessly.
Now, whenever he wished, he could communicate with any surrounding creature. Just earlier, he had tested it on Swampert and Crobat, nearly giving them both a fright.
After completing his advancement, Sato left the secret space with Swampert, Crobat, and Natu, and joined Thomas—who had already prepared lunch—for a belated but satisfying meal.
By around 3 p.m., Sato, riding his Arcanine, and Thomas, riding his Rapidash, were journeying westward through thick forests.
As they advanced deeper into the western region of the mysterious island, the terrain began to shift—from dense woods to low grasslands, then to dry earth, and finally to a vast desert swept with swirling yellow sand.
According to the map, this sparsely vegetated desert area was known as the Shifting Sand Sea. It was the largest desert on the island and the greatest habitat for Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon.
Last night, Maya had told Sato that the rendezvous point was somewhere within this desert. However, despite having been in the sweltering desert for quite a while, the two of them still hadn't found the oasis she had mentioned.
"Lord Sato, ... Arcanine and Rapidash have been running for over two hours. They're both exhausted. Why don't we rest up for a bit over there in that rocky area and then continue on?"
Thomas, sweating profusely under the blazing sun, finished off the last bit of water in his flask. Dizzy and lightheaded, he looked ahead at Sato and spoke wearily.
After over an hour of exposure to the scorching heat, he felt as though all the moisture had evaporated from his body. His whole system seemed off, clearly showing signs of dehydration and heatstroke.
"Alright, let's rest for a while."
Hearing Thomas' weakened voice behind him, Sato used a sweep of psychic sense to assess his condition. Then, he calmly replied via telepathy.
Although becoming a Beginner Psychic hadn't visibly improved his physical stats, Sato's mental strength had increased significantly. Even after being baked under the sun for more than an hour, his mental clarity remained excellent.
"Yes, sir!"
Upon hearing Sato's voice directly in his mind, Thomas perked up and straightened his back. Without needing Sato to even turn around, he respectfully responded.
Though some time had passed since he'd learned the news, Thomas was still struggling to process the fact that Sato had become a psychic.
'Lord Sato really has become a psychic… That was telepathy just now! Amazing. Anyone who has to face him in battle from now on is doomed.'
As that voice echoed once again in his mind, Thomas' respect and awe for Sato deepened. His gaze toward him became filled with reverence.
A few minutes later, Sato and Thomas arrived in a rocky wasteland full of ruined walls and crumbling stones. They found shade behind a rock formation and began taking a short break.
It was almost 4 p.m. now. With less than an hour left before the deadline to join the ruins exploration, they had to make haste to reach the rendezvous point at the oasis.
But as the saying goes—man proposes, but nature disposes. The desert weather was notoriously unpredictable.
Sato and Thomas had barely rested for a few minutes when a sudden gust of wind carrying large amounts of sand blew in—and the winds only kept getting stronger.
From the abruptness of the situation, it was clear: a desert sandstorm was incoming.
At that moment, many wild Pokémon living in the rocky area didn't even bother with the two strangers. They all scattered and began taking action to shield themselves from the approaching storm.
"Come out, Swampert. Use this rock wall as a support and build a simple earthen shelter."
Sensing the oncoming sandstorm, Sato promptly released Swampert and gave it the command.
"Swamp~~"
Swampert nodded and summoned a surge of pure Ground-type energy from its body, injecting it into the earth. Moments later, three sturdy walls of compacted soil rose from the ground and seamlessly connected with the stone wall behind them, forming a small open-roofed shelter.
Then, under Swampert's control, the three walls grew upward until they fused into a dome, forming a fully enclosed mud hut, with small air vents for breathing.
Shortly after Swampert completed the shelter, the sandstorm arrived in full force. Blasting winds and gritty sand slammed against the walls, producing a dull thudding sound. Thanks to the howling wind, some fine particles still managed to sneak in through the gaps.
About ten minutes later, the raging sandstorm began to weaken, and its power gradually faded across the rocky terrain.
But just then—a melodious song suddenly echoed through the sandy wasteland.
It was a hauntingly beautiful tune, almost magical in nature. Soon, many of the wild Pokémon who had been hiding began to emerge, one by one, as if entranced. Like sleepwalkers, they stepped out from their shelters and slowly wandered into the direction from which the song came—straight into the sand-laden wind.