"Garde?"
Seeing her Master staring at her in a daze, Gardevoir tilted her head slightly, her voice tinged with confusion.
This was yet another reminder to Linck that Pokémon were not like conjured beasts, they were living, breathing individuals.
Pokémon born from Nen could speak, though only in the Pokémon language. Still, Linck could understand them perfectly.
"I'm fine…"
Saying this, Linck rose and walked over to the large round table. Upon it sat a glass of water, with a single bright green leaf floating on the surface.
Although he already had his suspicions, Linck wanted to confirm it for himself.
What he was about to use was the Water Divination test, a technique to determine which Nen category one belonged to.
Standing before the table, Linck's expression turned solemn. He placed his hands to either side of the glass.
He moved as though to cup the glass, but left a gap between his palms and the vessel.
Drawing in a deep breath, Linck slowly gathered Nen into his palms. A veil of pure, faintly translucent white aura formed around them, layer upon layer.
Having only awakened his Nen recently, and without any real training, this was already the maximum amount of aura he could muster.
A faint sheen of sweat began to form on his forehead. Seeing this, Gardevoir quickly took out a handkerchief and dabbed away the droplets, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a trace of concern.
Her movement seemed to serve as a signal, because as Linck's Nen continued to flow, changes began to occur in the glass.
The once-clear water seemed touched by tiny drops of pastel ink, first shifting to a soft pink, then deepening until it became a rich violet.
Just when Linck thought the process was complete, the leaf began to curl in on itself, slowly sinking toward the center of the glass before stopping.
By then, it had transformed into a small sphere, its surface encased in crystalline layers, faintly patterned with what looked like the capital letter "M."
From Linck's perspective, the crystalline sphere resembled a Poké Ball, and with the violet water, it looked exactly like a Master Ball submerged in the glass!
After confirming the water showed no further change, Linck stopped channeling his aura and withdrew his hands.
A knowing glint flashed in his eyes as he gazed at the strange sight before him.
As expected… a Specialist type.
Nen abilities were divided into six categories, forming a hexagonal chart:
Enhancement – Increases the volume of the water.
Transmutation – Alters the taste of the water, with the new flavor varying by individual.
Conjuration – Causes crystalline objects to form in the water.
Emission – Changes the water's color.
Manipulation – Moves the floating leaf.
Specialization – Any phenomenon outside the other five types falls into this category.
For example, in the original Hunter × Hunter, Kurapika's ability was Specialist, able to use all other categories at 100% efficiency.
Chrollo's power to steal abilities, and Pakunoda's ability to read memories, were also Specialist.
Of all six types, Specialists were the rarest.
It was worth noting that a person could use abilities from categories other than their own, but the further away from their natural type, the weaker the result.
Initially, Linck thought he might have misjudged. After all, his concept of a "Pokémon Master" seemed to fit the Specialist type.
Yet color change was an Emission trait.
However, the chain of changes that followed made it clear, he was indeed Specialist.
If anything, his form of Specialization seemed to encompass traits from Manipulation, Emission, and Conjuration.
Manipulation – Commanding Pokémon in battle, as well as the analytical functions of his Pokédex.
Emission – Summoning Pokémon from his own aura and releasing attacks from within himself.
Conjuration – Each Pokémon existed as an independent entity, visible to even ordinary people, formed from materialized Nen.
Perhaps that rumor was true after all?
Linck recalled reading somewhere that those born with Nen abilities were always Specialists.
Now that he'd identified his type, the next step was to train in Nen's Four Principles:
Ten (Envelop), Zetsu (Suppress), Ren (Intensify), and Hatsu (Release).
Ten – Focuses the mind, calms the heart, and envelops the body in aura, preventing it from leaking away. The foundation of all Nen use.
Zetsu – Erases one's aura presence, hiding from detection.
Ren – Builds on Ten to explosively expand one's aura field. If Ten is storing energy, Ren is unleashing it.
Hatsu – One's unique Nen ability, shaped by personality, habits, and experiences.
Together, they were called Nen.
While Linck believed he could rely on his Pokémon in battle, these fundamental techniques were still worth learning.
To him, the most important for now were Ren, followed by Ten.
Why Ren first? Because its derivative skill, Gyo, allowed one to see another Nen user's aura.
Nen was normally invisible to the naked eye, but with Gyo, it could be perceived. This was invaluable for a Pokémon Trainer whose role was to command, if you couldn't even see the opponent's attacks, how could you give proper orders?
Ten was equally important for two reasons:
First, to master Ren, one had to first master Ten.
Second, Ten locked aura within the body, improving health and even extending lifespan.
Compared to most Nen users, Linck's path was far easier, he only needed to focus on Ten and Ren, whereas others had to train all four principles equally.
Training was important, yes, but…
Linck glanced at the invitingly soft bed nearby…
…Maybe he'd start tomorrow.