Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

Aoki didn't know how long he had been lying on the ground. When he finally woke up, a searing pain exploded in his head, making him feel as if it would split apart.

Gritting his teeth, he slowly sat up with the support of his Slowpoke and Murkrow. Pressing his temples, he managed to ease the pain slightly. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he barely opened his eyes.

Seeing his Pokémon's worried expressions, he forced out a dry, hoarse voice. "Slowpoke, Murkrow... Are you two okay? What about Gastly?"

A weak, familiar chuckle echoed from behind him. "Gaa... gaa..."

Gastly's usually dense, purple gas had thinned significantly, flickering unsteadily in the air as if it might dissipate at any moment.

Among Aoki's Pokémon, Gastly had suffered the most. Though Sabrina hadn't targeted him specifically, the sheer force of her Psychic energy had nearly scattered his body. His level was simply too low to withstand such an overwhelming presence.

Seeing that Gastly was still holding on despite his weakened state, Aoki sighed in relief. But as soon as he relaxed, another wave of intense pain wracked his head.

Slowpoke hesitated for a moment before extending a forelimb, gently pressing it against Aoki's temple. A faint blue ripple of Psychic energy spread from its paw, flowing into Aoki's mind.

A cool, soothing sensation immediately replaced the pain, making Aoki groan involuntarily. The relief was so overwhelming that he barely managed to keep himself from collapsing again.

Surprised, he glanced at Slowpoke. Since when did its Psychic powers have a healing effect?

After a short while, the pain dulled into a manageable throb. Though an occasional pulse of discomfort remained, it no longer affected his movements.

Standing up slowly, Aoki shook his head and muttered, "Sabrina... she's completely unpredictable."

He had initially wanted to curse her out, but considering how she had appeared and disappeared without warning, he decided against it. His words softened into a helpless complaint instead.

Slowpoke, however, seemed hesitant about something.

Aoki noticed its strange expression and asked, "What's wrong, Slowpoke?"

Slowpoke's Telepathy activated, and its slow, sticky voice resonated in Aoki's mind. "Master... you seem to have... um... awakened?"

"Awakened? What do you mean?" Aoki was stunned. Awakened? Awakened to what?

At that moment, Murkrow flew over, holding a small book in its beak.

Taking the booklet absentmindedly, Aoki glanced at the cover. The title read: Superpower Training Manual (Volume 1).

"Superpower Training Manual...? Awakening...? Superpowers?" The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. Had Sabrina's attack... awakened his Psychic abilities?

Still in disbelief, he looked at his Pokémon. All three—Slowpoke, Murkrow, and Gastly—nodded in confirmation. Though they had been immobilized when he awakened, they had clearly sensed a faint Psychic energy radiating from him.

"But... why don't I feel anything?" Aoki frowned.

Slowpoke looked just as confused.

Murkrow and Gastly, being non-Psychic types, had no knowledge of how Psychic abilities functioned, leaving them equally clueless.

Aoki then remembered the manual in his hands. Since Sabrina had left it behind, it might contain the answers he needed.

Flipping through the first page, he quickly found an introductory explanation. It described how a newly awakened Psychic should first attempt to move an object using only their mind. This was the most basic test of Psychic ability.

Without hesitation, Aoki shut the book and locked his gaze on a fist-sized stone on the ground. He focused, willing it to move.

Veins bulged slightly around his eyes as he strained with all his concentration, but the rock remained completely still.

"Maybe... it's too big?"

Unconvinced, he chose a much smaller pebble—barely the size of a thumb—and tried again.

This time, a faint light-blue ripple surrounded the stone. It trembled slightly, then slowly floated a few centimeters above the ground.

Aoki's eyes widened in surprise. But just as he felt a rush of excitement, his focus slipped, and the pebble dropped with a soft plop.

"So... I really did awaken to Psychic powers," he murmured. But his excitement quickly faded as he realized just how weak his ability was. Compared to Sabrina, or even Slowpoke, it was almost negligible.

"Still... it's better than nothing."

Superpowers—no matter how weak—were a rare gift. Whether in battle or survival, they could prove incredibly useful, provided he trained them properly.

What Aoki didn't realize was that he had never actually met the conditions to awaken Psychic powers. However, due to his experiences across multiple lifetimes, his mental strength had already surpassed the average person's. Even then, he had only barely met the threshold.

It was Sabrina's overwhelming Psychic attack, focused directly on his brain, that had forcefully unlocked his potential.

Awakening Psychic powers was an unexpected bonus. But the experience of being completely helpless against Sabrina left a bitter taste in his mouth. He needed to grow stronger—fast.

Slipping the manual into his belt, he decided that now wasn't the time to dwell on training. He had lingered in the area for too long already.

Recalling Slowpoke into its Pokéball and letting the exhausted Gastly retreat into the shadows, he pulled his black cloak tighter around himself. Murkrow hesitated for a moment before settling on his shoulder.

Without another word, Aoki turned and left the area, disappearing into the darkness.