At this moment, Ariel...
He sat cross-legged on a reef worn smooth by the waves, eyes tightly shut, with his mind more focused than ever before.
The power left behind by Mewtwo was like a tiny stream, quietly flowing through his body.
At first, this power was just a vague concept, a gift originating from the mental plane. But now, Ariel could clearly "see" it.
It had no color, no form; it was more like a pure extension of his will.
Ariel tried to mobilize this power.
It was just like when he had first awakened this ability, struggling to lift that small stone.
He concentrated his consciousness on a withered leaf in front of him.
His mental power reached out like an invisible hand, cautiously touching the withered leaf.
The withered leaf didn't budge.
Ariel was not discouraged and tried again. This time, he increased the output of his mental power.
Buzz.
A slight ringing sound came from his mind, like a taut string being plucked.
That withered leaf finally trembled.
It gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake, then went still again.
"..."
"I could clearly lift a small stone before..."
Ariel opened his eyes, feeling somewhat helpless.
This feeling was like a person with all their limbs suddenly trying to use their mind to control an eleventh finger; it was not only awkward but also impossible to find the point of exertion.
Clumsy.
This was the only evaluation he had for himself.
What Mewtwo had given him was more like a key and a door; the treasure behind the door required him to dig for it himself.
But the problem was, he hadn't even figured out which keyhole this key was supposed to be inserted into.
He switched targets to a fist-sized pebble.
This time, he mobilized almost all the Confusion in his body, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his forehead.
With his mind highly concentrated, the air around the pebble seemed to undergo a subtle distortion.
The stone... wobbled.
Then it rolled half a turn and stopped.
Ariel let out a long sigh and leaned back, lying on the warm beach.
The feeling of mental exhaustion was far more intense than physical depletion.
This thing was much harder to practice than he had imagined.
Just as he was preparing to take a short break, a series of "clack, clack" scuttling sounds interrupted his thoughts.
A large Krabby, waving its disproportionately massive pincer, crawled out from a crevice in the nearby reef.
Its shell gleamed with an orange-red luster under the sunlight, looking incredibly hard.
This Krabby clearly didn't care about the human lying on the beach, going about its business looking for food.
A bold idea suddenly popped into Ariel's head.
What if... I use Confusion to attack?
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
He flipped over and sat up, his eyes flashing with eagerness to try.
He concentrated his mind again, but this time, the goal was no longer to move an object, but to condense his mental power into a beam and fire it.
Ariel extended one hand, pointing from afar at the Krabby.
Invisible Confusion gathered in his palm, forming an unstable point of energy.
Go!
An almost imperceptible ripple instantly crossed several meters and struck the Krabby's carapace.
The effect...
How should I put it.
It was like throwing a pebble at a tank.
The Krabby's overbearing scuttling paused for a moment.
Its eyes, perched on stalks, swiveled around and finally locked onto the source of the attack—Ariel.
The anger of being provoked caused it to spit out a string of white bubbles.
Its giant pincer suddenly lifted and slammed heavily onto the sand with a dull thud.
It was enraged.
"Not good."
Ariel thought to himself.
He had wanted to test his attack power, but the result was more like giving the opponent a scratch, with a Taunt thrown in for free.
The Krabby moved its eight legs and charged over aggressively at an astonishing speed.
That giant pincer opened and closed during the charge, making a tooth-aching "clack-clack" sound, as if it could easily snap steel.
Ariel didn't choose to meet it head-on; his mental power was heavily depleted, and his body was also somewhat weak.
He simply raised his hand calmly and pressed a Poké Ball at his waist.
A flash of red light.
A small dragon, entirely black with thick "bangs" covering its head, appeared on the beach.
It was Deino.
"Roar?"
Deino was a bit dazed when it first came out, shaking its head before seeing the aggressively charging Krabby in front of it.
Its battle instinct was instantly triggered.
"Deal with it."
Ariel gave a concise command.
He didn't provide any extra direction.
Or rather, against such an opponent, Ariel didn't need to direct anything.
Seeing another little squirt appear, the Krabby's anger grew even more. It opened its giant pincer, and a Ice Beam shot out.
Deino reacted extremely quickly. Its small body kicked off the sand, and it nimbly leaped to the side, perfectly avoiding the attack.
The white cold air brushed past its body, leaving a trail of frost on the beach.
The moment it dodged the attack, Deino had already lowered its body and charged forward fiercely.
Dark-type energy flashed across its body.
Bite!
The Krabby was bulky and couldn't dodge in time, being bitten firmly on the joint of its leg by Deino.
"Krab!"
With a dull thud, the Krabby stumbled, nearly flipping over.
Before it could steady itself, Deino had already opened its mouth.
A dark purple aura gushed out like flames.
Dragon Breath!
This energy accurately blasted the Krabby's face, the scorching energy causing it to let out a pained hiss.
The battle was decided.
The Krabby's massive body swayed and finally fell powerlessly, its giant pincer dropping onto the sand.
Ariel walked over and patted Deino's head as encouragement.
Deino nuzzled his hand comfortably, making a purring sound in its throat.
"Good job."
Ariel looked at the trophy before him, and his stomach growled at an inopportune time.
Since the mission to assist Mewtwo, he hadn't eaten anything.
He looked at Deino and pointed at the Krabby that had lost its ability to fight.
"Give it another blast, aim for its belly, and control the heat well."
Deino blinked, seemingly trying to understand the meaning of this command.
A few seconds later, it had an epiphany and opened its mouth again.
This time, the Dragon Breath was no longer a violent burst of energy, but had become a continuous and steady output of "fire."
Soon, a rich, charred aroma mixed with the fresh scent of seafood permeated the air.
...
Half an hour later.
Ariel leaned against the reef contentedly, still holding a section of succulent crab leg.
Deino's Dragon Breath was simply a divine tool for home travel and wilderness barbecues.
The roasted crab meat had a crispy shell, but the inside was tender and juicy, perfectly locking in the sweetness of the crab meat.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, his physical and mental strength were replenished.
Ariel closed his eyes again, sinking into his inner world.
This time, he no longer forced himself to control that Confusion, but quietly felt it and familiarized himself with it.
The Confusion flowed through his body like warm spring water, nourishing his mind that was weary from overuse.
Gradually, his perception began to extend outward.
No longer through his eyes, no longer through his ears.
But a brand-new, three-dimensional perception mode.
He could "feel" that ten meters behind him, a Krabby was cautiously poking its head out from a spiral shell.
He could "feel" that on the coconut tree above him, a Caterpie was nibbling on leaves, and he could even distinguish the slight vibrations of each chew.
He could also "feel" the life force of the snails and clams deep in the sand beneath his feet.
The entire world, in his perception, became clearer and more vivid than ever before.
This "Extra-sensory Perception" elevated his insight into the surrounding environment to a superhuman level.
He could even capture the flow of the wind and the trajectory of the waves.
This was the power Mewtwo had given him.
Although the use of Confusion still seemed very difficult for now, the "Extra-sensory Perception" effect brought by this Psychic ability still allowed his perception of the surrounding environment to reach a superhuman level.
Ariel slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing through them.
He stood up, patted the sand off his body, and looked out at the boundless sea.
It was time to leave.
He recalled Deino.
He didn't choose to release the imposing Gyarados. In these unknown waters, being too flashy was not a wise move.
He took out another Poké Ball.
"Come out, Greninja."
The blue figure appeared silently, arms crossed, its scarlet long-tongue scarf fluttering slightly in the sea breeze, its eyes calm and sharp.
Ariel didn't say much; with just a glance, Greninja understood his intention.
It was the first to dive into the water, not kicking up much of a splash, like a stone sinking into a deep pool.
Ariel took a deep breath, feeling the coldness of the seawater.
Without any hesitation, he leaped and jumped into the cold sea.
The piercing chill instantly enveloped his entire body, but in the next second, a pair of strong and powerful arms accurately supported him in the water.
It was Greninja.
Ariel leaned against Greninja's broad back, and the cold seawater was kept at bay.
As a Ninja Pokémon, Greninja's movements in the water were as silent as a ghost.
Its limbs moved gently, and its body turned into a deep blue arrow, silent yet carrying amazing explosive power, as it sped toward the deep sea.
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