Chapter 470 - Becoming a Beginner Psychic

An hour later, the blackness in Aoki's dazed eyes gradually faded, revealing the whites and pupils once more. His forehead was drenched in sweat, his face pale, showing clear signs of exhaustion. Yet, despite his physical fatigue, his mind had never felt so sharp.

It was as if a switch had been flipped—his thoughts were clearer, more active than even after a full night's rest.

Without taking a moment to recover, Aoki retrieved a box from his storage space. Inside were a set of prayer beads, the standard test for measuring superpower proficiency. To determine whether he had officially become a primary psychic, he needed to see how many beads he could lift using his powers.

Taking a deep breath, Aoki channeled his energy.

Five beads lifted instantly without resistance.

Six… seven… eight…

As he progressed, the strain became more noticeable, but he didn't stop.

Nine… ten…

Finally, the tenth bead rose.

The threshold of a primary psychic had been reached!

Aoki's lips curled into a small smile. He had finally crossed the line into the realm of true psychics. This meant he could now learn telepathy—a skill that would significantly enhance his command over Pokémon battles.

But he wasn't done.

Aoki pushed further, determined to find his true limit. The eleventh bead rose, then the twelfth. Even as fatigue set in, he continued.

Thirteen… Fourteen…

At last, exhaustion forced him to stop.

Fourteen beads—a remarkable achievement. Not only had he become a primary psychic, but he had exceeded the minimum requirement by a wide margin.

However, the rapid increase in power had set his control back; while he had reached 70% mastery over his abilities before, this surge had dropped it back to 60%. He knew that with time and training, refining his control to 100% would bring another breakthrough in his psychic strength.

Still, Aoki wasn't overly concerned. His primary goal was always telepathy, not raw psychic power.

In the future, he would find opportunities to absorb the remaining four Mind Stones, furthering his progress. But for now, this milestone was enough.

With a satisfied exhale, Aoki stowed the prayer beads away. His body was at its limit, and the mental strain of testing his new abilities weighed heavily on him. Without another thought, he let himself drift into a deep, well-earned sleep.

Outside, the forest remained alive with the sounds of nature. The rustling of leaves, the distant calls of nocturnal Pokémon, and the occasional echoes of a distant battle created a restless atmosphere.

But within the hollowed-out tree where Aoki and his team rested, silence reigned. The barrier set by Slowking's psychic abilities shielded them from detection, providing a haven from the dangers lurking outside.

With Slowking standing watch, no wild Pokémon dared approach. Tonight, Aoki and his team could enjoy a rare, peaceful rest.

Aoki awoke later than usual, the sunlight already spilling through the gaps in the bark. The exhaustion from the previous day had taken its toll, but now, after a full night's sleep, he felt completely rejuvenated.

More importantly—

Today, he would finally learn telepathy.

The process itself wasn't difficult. He had seen how Old Gastly had taught Slowpoke the skill with only a few simple explanations. While Slowpoke possessed an innate talent for psychic abilities, Aoki knew that the key factor in mastering telepathy wasn't technique—it was raw psychic energy.

Aoki exchanged a few words with Slowking, then reviewed the descriptions of telepathy from Sabrina's superpower training manual. With a focused mind, he slowly extended his psychic energy outward, reaching toward Slowking's consciousness.

"Slowking?"

The response came instantly, not through sound, but directly into his mind.

"Master! I can hear you!"

Aoki's eyes lit up with excitement.

So this was telepathy!

He had simply projected his thoughts using his psychic energy, and Slowking had understood them perfectly. It felt completely natural, almost effortless.

Eager to test it further, Aoki extended his telepathic link to his other Pokémon, issuing silent commands.

Each of them reacted with mild surprise at first, but their trust in their trainer meant they followed his orders without hesitation.

Aoki nodded in satisfaction. The process still felt unfamiliar to them, but with practice, telepathic communication would become an integral part of their battle strategy. This skill would allow him to issue silent, instant orders, making his commands faster and more efficient than ever before.

After tidying up the cave, Aoki and his team set out once more.

This journey had already been incredibly rewarding.

He had captured a Spoink capable of serving as a trait converter.

He had advanced his psychic abilities to the level of a primary psychic.

He had mastered telepathy.

Aoki was completely satisfied with these achievements.

As for whether his powers would grow even further in the future? That was up to fate.

For now, his goal was Verdanturf Town.

With only two days left before reaching Verdanturf Town, Aoki turned his focus to training his Pokémon.

Slowking had reached level 39, the highest level among his Pokémon, and was only one level away from attaining Elite status. This would greatly solidify Aoki's strength as a Gym Leader.

However, there was another crucial reason to push for this evolution.

His current rank in Team Rocket was Captain, but he lacked the strength to truly back it up.

In the world of Team Rocket, power dictated status. If he wasn't strong enough, others would see him as an easy stepping stone and challenge him for his position.

He needed to be ready.

In yesterday's battle against the Spoink herd, Honchkrow had been the primary attacker. With just a bit more experience, it would soon reach level 39, making level 40 a realistic goal within the next few battles.

If both Slowking and Honchkrow reached Elite level, Aoki's power would finally match his rank.

With his high-quality Pokémon, strong battle instincts, and now telepathic command, he could stand his ground against most challengers.

Two days remained before Verdanturf Town.

In those two days, Aoki would ensure his Pokémon reached their peak.

The real battles were yet to come.