To many researchers, spirit energy is an utterly unique force. When this previously nonexistent energy appeared on Earth, it should have thrown countless scientific formulas into chaos. Yet, in reality, it didn't.
If anything, the arrival of spirit energy brought a burst of new possibilities, giving old scientific paradigms room to expand and evolve. Fields that had once crawled along with slow progress suddenly opened up, as if new doors were flung wide.
In this way, the world Brandon White lived in differed sharply from the high-powered martial worlds like the one Roxie Vale came from.
After spending several days in the Vantora City Nature Reserve, Brandon and Yue Frost had pretty much mapped out all the mutated wildlife. Once their data was sorted and sent off, it was time to wrap up their assignment.
Yue left a bit earlier—unlike Brandon, who, though nominally part of the Spirit Energy Bureau, managed his own schedule, Yue's life was closer to a regular job. She had to juggle training with tasks and missions from her superiors, so in a way, their time at the reserve had been her easiest days yet.
"Be sure to take a good soak and unwind when you get home. And don't forget to hand those materials off to a real chef," Brandon advised with a smile.
Yue could cook, sure, but a professional would bring out the best in the mutant meat they'd harvested.
When she finally got back, it was almost three in the afternoon. She was just about to jump in the shower and grab a bite to eat when her phone started ringing.
"What's up?" Brandon asked, seeing the look on her face.
"There's been an incident," she replied, her tone suddenly grim. "A mutated male lion just escaped from the Vantora City Zoo."
"…What?" Brandon's eyes went wide. "Wait, the zoo's still open?"
He'd thought for sure that after the world awakened to supernatural powers, all the zoos would've shut down. After all, if people were developing abilities, surely the animals would too—it made no sense to keep them on display.
He hadn't heard any news about zoos lately and was genuinely stunned they were still running.
Firewing's voice came over the line. "They closed to the public, of course. But instead of shutting down entirely, they converted the facilities for observation and research, to see if the animals would mutate. Some did, but their personalities stayed the same, so people started to let their guard down."
She sighed, frustration clear in her voice. "But just today, one of the handlers got bitten during feeding and the lion broke loose. Now it's on the run."
Brandon shook his head. "This kind of thing was bound to happen. No matter how close you think you are with these animals, the moment they mutate, you need to stay vigilant—or else."
"It's not just the wild ones," Firewing continued. "House pets and livestock across the country are changing, too. Livestock usually mutate less and don't get that much stronger—they're still bound by the food chain. If anything, their rarity makes them more expensive now. But pets are another story. If a dog or cat hasn't fully bonded with you, it could attack. I've heard about people getting clawed up by their own cats—one swipe and you're off to the ER."
"But," she added, "if a mutated pet really sees you as its owner, it can be fiercely loyal. Look at police dogs—they've mutated too, but not a single case of them hurting anyone. Guide dogs as well, and their intelligence seems to be getting sharper. Commands are even easier to give."
"In the end, it's a mixed bag," Firewing finished.
Brandon nodded, unable to hold back a wry smile. "Sounds like we're one step away from everyone having their own little Pokémon running around."
At least, he thought, when his Ralts arrived, it would be safe enough to let it explore outside.
"Send me the location. I'll handle it," he said simply. "I'll take care of the body myself."
"Alright," Firewing replied. "Be careful."
A bestial roar suddenly echoed through the hills, shaking the very earth. Birds, beasts, and insects scattered in all directions, fleeing the chaos.
"This lion's got some fight in it," Brandon muttered, floating gently through the treetops. He perched on a branch, gazing calmly down at the rampaging beast.
Now he understood why Firewing had sounded so calm over the phone. The lion had already escaped the city and headed for the wilds.
Brandon sized up the creature. "Impressive presence, but honestly, it's not on the same level as that crimson tiger we met in the reserve. And there's no fire-lotus marking on its forehead, either."
He recalled that only the first mutated beast he'd fought—the crimson tiger—had borne such a mark. The others were just as strong, but none seemed to have the same spark of intelligence.
Maybe that tiger had been special—a higher potential, perhaps? The fire-lotus on its brow had radiated a unique power, but the tiger never got the chance to unleash its true abilities. With time, it might have grown into something truly dangerous.
Suddenly, the mutated lion seemed to sense a threat. It tensed, muscles bunching, all its instincts on high alert. Its fur bristled, golden eyes snapping up to glare straight at Brandon's perch.
"You spotted me, huh?" Brandon smiled, unfazed. He knew lions had a powerful sense of smell—no surprise it had picked up his scent.
And yet, for all its instincts, it wouldn't help.
He lifted a hand.
Boom!
The air trembled. A wave of unseen force slammed into the lion, pinning it in place. Its body froze, unable to move as Brandon's power seeped in, and with a strangled roar, the beast crashed to the ground, unmoving.
"Telekinesis is pretty handy," Brandon mused, dropping from the branch and landing lightly beside the lion's corpse.
To outsiders, the difference between psychic power and pure telekinesis might seem academic, but in practice, he could control matter with a mere thought. He wasn't even sure which label fit him best—telekinesis or psychic force? All he knew was that whatever one could do, the other could match, and vice versa.
As for where this new ability had come from? Honestly, he wasn't sure. He'd simply been meditating, growing stronger, when one morning he realized he could move things with his mind.
Most likely, it was a natural byproduct of his evolving connection to the Authority of Nature.
Compared to some of the other abilities he'd discovered lately, telekinesis barely seemed remarkable.
But as the world's energies continued to shift and evolve, who could say what would awaken next?
(End of Chapter 48)