The expedition to the Death Island ruins had been a windfall for Tianchen, but he suspected his sister, Caitlin, had gained even more. Due to their twin bond, his sudden surge in power likely flooded her mind as well.
Caitlin is probably cursing me right now, Tianchen thought wryly. Her powers were already hard enough to control; this extra boost will make her go berserk.
He looked at Alice and Feng Che, astonished that they had both succeeded in the awakening. According to ancient texts, this "energy infusion" method was a death trap—the survival rate was historically less than 10%.
"These two definitely have massive secrets," Tianchen mused. "But I'm glad I found such reliable allies." In Team Rocket, finding a partner you can trust (even a little) is the difference between life and death.
"Tianchen, what's that in your hand?" Feng Che asked.
"These are Psychic Testing Beads," Tianchen explained, handing a handful of heavy, obsidian-like spheres to Feng Che. "They measure your raw output.
Primary: Up to 50 beads.
Middle: 50 to 200 beads.
High: 200 to 1,000 beads.
Top: Over 1,000.
Try it, Kongjian."
Feng Che took a deep breath, circulating the Starry Sky Meditation energy. He focused his will on the weight in his palm. One, two, ten... beads began to float. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he pushed.
"Fifty-one," Tianchen counted, his voice tinged with a bit of envy. "Congratulations. On your first try, you've reached the Middle-Rank."
Tianchen himself had been stuck at the Primary level for years before this breakthrough. For a "rookie" to hit Middle-Rank instantly spoke of terrifying talent (or the hidden help of the Unown).
Alice tested next, lifting 29 beads. She was ecstatic; for someone who had lost her powers entirely, being a Primary-Rank psychic was a miracle.
Tianchen then briefed them on the perks of their new ranks:
Primary: Can bend spoons, move small objects, and has heightened senses.
Middle: Short-range Teleportation and Telepathy with Pokémon.
High: Mid-range Teleportation, offensive psychic blasts, and a small personal Storage Dimension.
Top: Long-range Teleportation, seamless communication with any Pokémon, and combat power rivaling Mythical beings.
"Wait, where did the crystals go?" Tianchen suddenly gasped.
He looked down at the altar floor. The sea of purple-red psychic crystals was gone. The stone was licked clean.
Did the ritual use all of them?! He felt his heart bleed at the lost fortune. (He didn't notice a very satisfied pink blob hiding in Feng Che's shadow).
"We should split up," Alice suggested. "We need to cover more ground to secure the Top 20 spots. We can't do that if we're all hunting the same patch of woods."
"Agreed," Feng Che said. "But let's settle the loot. I'll open all the chests you've found using my 'special way' and trade you the equivalent points. That way, you have mobility and I have the points for the ranking."
They divided the spoils: three Gold Chests and six Silver Chests. Feng Che traded each of them 200 points and provided them with silver Rocket Balls. He kept the Gold Map fragment for later.
"The ruins will teleport us to random locations within a ten-mile radius to avoid that Scolipede outside," Tianchen explained. "Good luck, everyone."
With a flash of light, Tianchen and Alice vanished.
Feng Che didn't leave immediately. He looked at the crystal statue of Jirachi. It had three colored ribbons—real Wish Tags from the Mythical Pokémon.
Jirachi's Wish Tags: Ancient artifacts from the Star People. May grant a wish if Jirachi is found. Jirachi's Millennial Statue: Can channel starlight. Functions unknown.
"The real treasure," Feng Che grinned, stowing the entire statue into his bracelet.
As the statue was removed, the ruins began to groan. The ancient magic maintaining the structure collapsed. Feng Che barely escaped as the temple buckled into the swamp mud.
He emerged on a sturdy branch on the outskirts of the marsh. He felt different. His "Heart-Link" range had expanded from five meters to twenty, and he could now "filter" the voices he didn't want to hear. Furthermore, he could see the biological weak points of any Pokémon with a single glance.
Snap!
[Drapion: Ouch... first the earthquake, now a mysterious guy hit me... why is life so hard?]
Feng Che looked down. A Drapion had crawled out of the mud. It looked pathetic—its armor was cracked, and one claw hung limp.
Pokémon: Drapion Potential: Outstanding (Yellow) Level: 35 Status: Severely Wounded. Evaluation: A total pushover in its current state. Catch it!
Feng Che didn't even need to fight. He tossed a ball. Click.
"Ditto, transform into Golbat. Let's fly."
He had just left the toxic air of the marsh behind when he landed in a clearing. He froze. Standing directly in front of him, floating inches off the ground with its silver spoons crossing, was an Alakazam.
And behind the Alakazam stood a figure he didn't expect to see so soon.
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