"Martial arts are not child's play. If you wish to learn, you must start from the very basics—one step at a time. Are you willing?" Master Tyron asked.
"We're willing," Yozora answered quickly, and Charmeleon roared in agreement.
"Good."
Master Tyron nodded and glanced at his four disciples. "Ahao, the basics of Yozora and Charmeleon will be entrusted to you all." With that, he turned and went back into the inner chamber.
"Heh, heh, heh…"
The four disciples looked at Yozora and Charmeleon with sly grins. "The four of us will each train you in basic strength, basic defense, basic combat skills, and basic footwork. The process will be painful. You'd best be prepared."
Yozora nodded firmly.
"Then I'll start first—with your basic strength. Come out, Machamp!"
Ahao released a brawny Machamp and chuckled. "You'll spar with me, and Charmeleon will spar with Machamp. No need for fancy techniques—just pure strength training. When you manage to knock us down, you'll have cleared the first trial."
"Understood." Yozora nodded and stepped forward alongside Charmeleon.
Not long after—
Miserable screams echoed from both Ahao and Machamp.
Yozora had effortlessly knocked Ahao down, and Charmeleon had just as easily flattened Machamp.
Yozora's physique was already powerful, and Charmeleon's strength was overwhelming. They didn't need any special strength training at all.
"Wha—what kind of freaks…?" The other three disciples broke into cold sweat as they stared at Ahao's pitiful state.
…
The next three trials followed: basic defense, basic combat techniques, and basic footwork.
Yozora and Charmeleon breezed through them all.
Only the third trial—basic combat skills—proved a bit more difficult. It took them two full hours before mastering everything.
For the rest, Yozora and Charmeleon cleared the challenges in an instant.
Their foundations were deep, their power immense. Going back to learn basic martial skills was like a university student revisiting elementary school math competitions—it took only a glance to understand.
Like Tien Shinhan learning the Kamehameha in an instant.
Like Madara absorbing Sage Chakra and immediately mastering Sage Arts—then dismissing it with, "So this is Sage Arts? Nothing special."
That was the difference in realm.
When one entered a lower-dimensional world from a higher perspective, everything became simple.
As for martial techniques—they were nothing more than punches, hooks, knee strikes, whip kicks, chokeholds, and so forth.
For Pokémon, such attacks weren't even classified as "moves," just ordinary strikes. They carried no additional damage bonuses.
That was martial arts: a discipline of technique and body movement.
In the Fighting Tournament held half a month later, only such martial techniques could be used. Victory would depend solely on skill and agility.
Charmeleon had already grasped the fundamentals. With half a month remaining, it only needed practice to polish its execution.
"Master!" Before long, Master Tyron emerged from the inner chamber. Ahao and the others hurriedly bowed.
Master Tyron swept his gaze over his four disciples, all of them bruised and battered.
In contrast, Yozora and Charmeleon bore no visible injuries at all.
"Not bad. As I expected, your foundation is already very strong. From here, I have two secret arts. If you formally take me as your teacher, you will be permitted to learn them. Do you accept?" Master Tyron asked.
"Disciple is willing." Yozora bowed deeply. With Master Tyron personally offering apprenticeship, of course he would accept.
He knew that once he learned Mind's Eye and Focus Energy, his strength would skyrocket.
Not his own martial prowess—truthfully, he had little personal interest in martial arts—but his strength as a Trainer.
Once he mastered these arts, his Pokémon could learn them too, and their power would surge dramatically.
Especially Beedrill. With Mind's Eye and Focus Energy, its strength would leap by a massive margin.
Dozens of stinger thrusts per second, each one a critical hit—who could possibly withstand that?
"Hahaha, excellent!"
Master Tyron laughed heartily. "The first of my secret arts is Mind's Eye. When you calm your heart, discard all distractions, the Mind's Eye will naturally open. In that moment, you will 'see' many things that your eyes alone cannot perceive."
"Mind's Eye does not use the eyes to see—it uses the heart, the spirit. Ahao will now explain how to practice. Ahao!"
"Yes, Master!" Ahao stepped forward immediately, his face twisted with malice and cruelty as he approached Yozora.
Earlier, Yozora had beaten him black and blue. Now was his chance to settle the score.
Carrying two strips of black cloth, Ahao chuckled darkly. "Junior Brother Yozora, to cultivate Mind's Eye, you won't need your eyes. You and Charmeleon should cover them first."
Suspecting nothing, Yozora and Charmeleon each tied the cloth over their eyes, plunging the world into darkness.
"Yozora, next Ahao and the others will throw baseballs at you and Charmeleon. Empty your mind, and evade as many as you can." Master Tyron's voice sounded, followed by the cruel snickers of the disciples as they pulled out balls and hurled them viciously.
Their bruised pride made them show no mercy—this was pure payback.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Balls came flying from every direction.
Yet Yozora and Charmeleon remained calm. With a simple tilt of the head or shift of the body, they dodged every single one.
"Wh—what the…?" The four disciples froze, eyes wide, jaws nearly hitting the floor.
"M–Mind's Eye? Impossible! He just became Master's disciple, and he's already mastered Mind's Eye?!"
All four were around twenty years old, natives of Taige Town, disciples since childhood—yet none of them had managed to learn Mind's Eye even now.
If they were the ones blindfolded under a hail of baseballs, forget dodging everything like Yozora and Charmeleon—they wouldn't even dodge a single one!
The gap was far too vast.
Was this… the so-called genius?
The four disciples trembled, their gazes toward Yozora already shifting into awe.
But Master Tyron frowned. He could sense that Yozora and Charmeleon's auras were synchronized, perfectly in rhythm. It was clear—they were in spiritual resonance.
"Impressive. This is the talent of a true Trainer. Many spend their entire lives without ever achieving such resonance with their Pokémon," Master Tyron praised. But he knew—it wasn't truly Mind's Eye.
At least one between Yozora and Charmeleon hadn't actually grasped it.
"Yozora, even without your eyes, you could sense the baseballs?" Master Tyron asked.
"Yes."
Dodging mid-attack, Yozora replied, "I possess the Power of Aura. I can sense the baseballs' presence."
…
…
(End of Chapter)