Chapter 119: Rowing Across

Generally speaking, Casey looked rather young and delicate.

But the Casey standing before Amu now gave him an entirely different impression—mature and worldly. It was holding forth before him with great assurance.

As for the theory it was expounding, it could be summed up in one sentence:

Psychic powers were all about having a brain!

Seeing that Casey genuinely intended to have him begin cultivating psychic powers from the very start, Amu changed tack and suggested, “Well... I’ve heard that trainers who specialize in Fairy-types have an easier time developing psychic abilities...”

“Humph. That’s because absorbing the power of moonlight and starlight is also a way of tempering one’s mental strength. You don’t need to do that. Use the Door of Truth’s meditative method and take your first step now.” Casey clearly did not want Amu to use Fairy-types as his guide.

The reason Nana had invited Amu was partly because of Sabrina herself. Although she was somewhat resentful that Amu had taken advantage of the Immortal Flame, she was even less willing to let it remain dormant forever. Besides... she had also misunderstood Amu’s “orphaned background.”

The other reason came from this Abra—or rather, Alakazam. It felt that Amu had considerable potential, so it had decided to offer him a little guidance, much as it had once done when it encountered Sabrina.

Hearing this, Amu had no choice but to try what it said for the time being.

Standing before the “mirror” of the Door of Truth, Amu stared at it for a long while. Yet no matter how intently he concentrated, all he could see was himself.

“Hmm? Why are you closing your eyes?” Casey asked, frowning slightly.

Amu switched into his Spirit Sight state, but...

His Spirit Sight was currently based entirely on observing “health conditions.” It was extremely sensitive to living beings and to entities possessing powerful vitality, such as the Immortal Flame. As for other forms of supernatural power, however, it could barely see anything at all.

When Amu opened his eyes helplessly, Casey shook its head slightly. “You can try working together with that Exeggutor.”

Indeed, resonating with a Psychic-type Pokémon one had trained was also a way of cultivating mental strength.

“Working together?” Amu did not quite understand.

“Use your mental strength to resonate with its own!” Casey was beginning to lose patience.

Back when it had encountered Sabrina wandering alone, why had guiding her been so troublesome?

In fact...

Sabrina had not needed to work with a Pokémon at all. During the first two years of her training, she had spent all her time learning to restrain her own mental strength!

Casey was not much of a teacher. Seeing that Amu did not seem particularly bright, it immediately began to grow impatient.

“Ex—Exeggutor!”

Amu released Exeggutor. Looking at those three foolish faces, he felt a little uneasy himself.

Would this really work?

“Amen, I need you to resonate with me!” Amu stepped forward, stroking one of Amen’s heads as he spoke.

“Exeggcute?” Amen still wore the same unintelligent expression on all three faces.

When Casey realized that Amu had no idea what he was supposed to do, it reminded him impatiently, “Put simply, you must first merge your mind with that of your Pokémon. Then it will guide your mental strength into forming psychic energy. Even humans with little natural talent can cultivate this way if their bond with a Psychic-type Pokémon is strong enough!”

Casey bit down hard on the words “little natural talent.”

Yet when it put things that way, Amu found the idea vaguely familiar. It was rather like Mega Evolution—only reversed.

If that was the case...

Casey suddenly noticed that the foolish human before it was looking at it rather strangely.

“Amen probably doesn’t understand any of this... Teacher Alakazam, why don’t you try it with me?” Amu gazed at Casey with burning enthusiasm.

Casey: “...?”

Had he not understood? Casey had been speaking the human language, hadn’t it?

“First of all... you may call me Alakazam.” Casey drew a deep breath.

“Teacher Alakazam, I’m connecting!” Amu had already extended a hand toward Casey, his palm hovering in its direction.

When there was not enough feeling, technology would have to make up the difference.

Casey: “...”

Amu could sense that he had already managed to “hook up” with Casey. It was like sending a friend request that had appeared right in front of the other party, only Casey was still hesitating over whether to accept it.

“We’re only trying it out. It won’t affect your relationship with Nana!” Amu hurriedly reassured it.

“Taking shortcuts like this will hinder your cultivation later,” Casey said sternly.

Because they were in a state of partial connection, Amu could faintly sense that Casey was still somewhat interested.

“It’s fine. You can also compare what it feels like to resonate with me and what it feels like to resonate with Nana,” Amu coaxed, playing upon that interest.

As for “cultivation,” Amu truly did not care much about it.

After all, by following the Path of the Gods, he would naturally gain psychic abilities later on. Even if the Moon Pathway and the Mother Pathway were not known for their mental strength, once his basic attributes increased enough, telekinesis would awaken on its own.

What interested Amu about this world’s psychic system was not how to cultivate it, but how to use it.

By now, Casey genuinely found Amu’s abilities rather intriguing. And so...

The next moment, Amu felt his thoughts suddenly become extraordinarily active. It was entirely different from the sensation he experienced when using Animal Senses on other Pokémon.

When he used Animal Senses on other Pokémon, it was as though two consciousnesses merely came into contact. But now...

Amu felt his own consciousness sink into Casey’s. The difference between them was simply too vast.

At the same time, Casey touched the Door of Truth with three fingers.

Amu immediately felt as though he were taking flight!

And there was no need to worry about overexerting himself and passing out. This was the reverse of Mega Evolution. The energy Amu consumed amounted only to what was required to activate Animal Senses; Casey was the one carrying him aloft.

The Door of Truth had originally looked like nothing more than an ordinary mirror. Now, however, it was like a disturbed surface of water. After a series of ripples, other scenes gradually emerged before Amu.

Casey was curious, too, about what “symbol of the self” Amu would see. This ability to connect with a Pokémon was rather fascinating.

Just then, within the Door of Truth, Casey and Amu saw a red moon.

The moon in the Pokémon world was not red. This was merely a huge red disk surrounded by absolute darkness. Yet for some reason, Casey instinctively knew that it was the moon.

Beauty, reproduction, femininity, spirit, darkness...

The moon was clearly extremely weak, but for some inexplicable reason, it gave Casey the feeling that it exerted an enormous influence over him.

Amu understood at once.

Casey’s “power” was too great. It had selected the wrong symbol.

“No, no, that’s not it.” Amu immediately swiped across the mirror.

It was as though he were scrolling through a smartphone, and the scene changed.

This time, Casey and Amu saw an endless stretch of land. The greatest forms were without shape; with the entire field of vision occupied by the earth, they should not have been able to tell what it was.

And yet...

Just as with the moon before, Casey instantly and instinctively recognized it as the earth.

Motherhood, origin, homecoming, reproduction, tranquility...

Casey sensed countless things once more. Fortunately, this was not the true Path of the Gods—or rather, it was a mutated version of the Path of the Gods that had emerged after entering the Pokémon world. Otherwise, Casey might not even have had the time to process any of it.

“This one’s wrong too...” Amu hurriedly swiped again.

The scene made him feel as though someone else had caught sight of an unmentionable app on his phone. He could only rush to scroll past it.

This time, the Door of Truth suddenly blazed with light.

Within it appeared a mass of fiercely burning flames.

Its “blaze” seemed even more arrogant than the moon and the earth had been.

And yet...

By comparison, Casey felt that even the Immortal Flame was nothing special.