"No, fortune favors the bold. If we don't awaken our psychic powers, we'll just be swallowed up by the internal power struggles of Team Rocket. I'd rather take this risk," Alice said, shaking her head. Her resolve was absolute.
"Same here. This is my chance. Even if I die, I'm not backing down," Feng Che added. He had come to this world with nothing; he might as well go all in to make his mark.
"Fine. If you really can't handle it, step out of the altar's range immediately. There might still be a chance to save your lives," Tianchen warned. He had said his piece; since they were determined, he would respect their choice.
Feng Che observed the altar. It was crafted from shimmering jade and divided into nine tiers. Each level featured statues of Baltoy and Claydol, with reliefs depicting the Star People worshipping Jirachi. At the very top, three figures were carved holding gems, receiving starlight from the Mythical Pokémon.
What Feng Che didn't notice was that his Poké Ball had clicked open. Ditto slipped out, its eyes filled with an insatiable greed. Every cell in its body felt parched. It slithered toward a massive chunk of solidified psychic crystal and began to devour it.
"Weird... did I hear something?" Feng Che glanced back, but saw nothing. "Focus. The ritual is starting."
As the trio stepped onto the first tier, the entire altar vibrated. The statues began to glow with a malevolent red light, floating into the air.
"Don't move! They're part of the ritual circuit," Tianchen whispered. "They're aligning to channel the celestial energy. Just get to the top."
At the apex sat a floating crystal statue of Jirachi. On its stomach, the "Third Eye" glowed like a miniature sun, and nine points of light representing the planets began to align in a perfect row.
"It's beginning!" Tianchen sat cross-legged, entering a deep meditative state. Alice and Feng Che followed suit.
A titanic wave of energy erupted from the "sun" of the statue—a solar flare of pure psychic power. It surged through the Claydol network and funneled into the three human candidates.
Feng Che immediately downed a bottle of mental potion and began the Starry Sky Meditation.
Unknown to him, the Unown (A) symbol on the back of his hand flared to life. It acted as a massive energy vacuum, siphoning off nearly 90% of the incoming power.
Because of this, while Alice and Tianchen were struggling against the "storm" of the remaining 10%, Feng Che felt a gentle, warm current flowing through his veins.
Wait, Tianchen said this would be agonizing. Why does it feel like a warm bath? Feng Che wondered. He glanced at his teammates—they were both shaking violently, blood trickling from their eyes and noses.
Is it the potion? Did I just stumble upon a cheat code? He quickly cleared his mind, focusing on breaking through the first layer of the meditation.
Below the Altar.
Ditto was having a feast. It was swallowing psychic crystals like candy, feeling its cells hum with a satisfaction it hadn't felt since its creation.
Caitlin's (嘉德丽雅) Castle.
In the Sinnoh region, the elite psychic Caitlin suddenly gasped. Through her twin-bond with Tianchen, she felt a massive surge of power.
"That idiot brother... he actually found the ruins."
The overflow of energy from Tianchen was being dumped into her via their psychic link. Her room began to shake, furniture floating as her power spiraled out of control. "Seal the room! I'm going into deep meditation!" she ordered her butler, Darach (石兰).
Team Rocket Medical Center.
On a bed in the secure wing, a blonde girl named Kanna (who bore a striking resemblance to Alice) let out a piercing scream. Her psychic aura flared so violently it shattered the surrounding medical equipment.
"The headache... make it stop!" she wailed.
"Doctor! Patient 18's neural activity is off the charts!" a nurse yelled. They had to bring in a Blissey to use Sing just to calm her enough to administer a sedative.
"Her condition is deteriorating," the doctor sighed. "I don't know how much longer we can keep her stable."
The Ruins.
The alignment lasted less than fifteen minutes. When the energy dissipated, Feng Che opened his eyes to a scene of carnage. Alice and Tianchen were collapsed on the floor, covered in blood.
"Cough..." Tianchen spat out a glob of crimson. "Kongjian... medicine. Please."
Feng Che quickly administered 100ml of high-grade mental potion and a regenerative tonic to both. After a while, they managed to sit up, their faces regaining some color.
"I'm alive..." Tianchen rasped. "Without your potions, that power would have turned my brain to mush. But... I did it. I've reached the Middle-Rank Psychic level!"
He gestured, and a hundred black obsidian beads rose into the air, dancing with precise control.
Feng Che stood up, feeling a strange clarity. He reached out with his mind and felt the "weight" of the objects around him. He hadn't just survived; he had awakened.
"I've attained the power," Feng Che whispered, watching as a small pebble floated off the ground and hovered before his eyes.
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