"So that's it. Your Aura has a function similar to the Mind's Eye. Even without your physical sight, you can still perceive things others cannot."
Master Tyron nodded, his tone calm and detached. Even the legendary Power of Aura seemed like nothing remarkable in his eyes.
"Because you and Charmeleon share a bond of hearts, the baseball you sensed just now—Charmeleon sensed it as well." Master Tyron's words cut cleanly through the mystery, exposing the reason why Yozora and Charmeleon had so easily dodged the barrage of baseballs.
Only then did Ahao and the others realize—it hadn't been the Mind's Eye at all…
Still, they couldn't help but envy Yozora. The Power of Aura… the fabled Aura Guardian?Tsk, tsk… even if it wasn't the Mind's Eye, it might as well be!
There was no question—the Power of Aura was a force far greater than the Mind's Eye.
"Yozora, your Aura may have traits akin to the Mind's Eye, but in the end, it is not the same. Aura consumes energy to wield, but the Mind's Eye does not."
Master Tyron's tone deepened. "And more importantly—you have Aura, but Charmeleon does not. Nor do your other Pokémon. That is a personal strength, not your Pokémon's strength. Make sure you understand that."
With a wave of his hand, Master Tyron signaled for Ahao and the others to halt the baseballs.
As the pelting stopped, Yozora let out a long breath. Even so, he didn't dare remove the black cloth from his eyes until Master Tyron permitted it. He simply slumped down, lost in thought, carefully digesting the weight of his words.
Aura… it's my own power, not my Pokémon's.
As a trainer, my personal strength doesn't matter. What matters is nurturing the strength of my partners.
"You probably think that through heart-to-heart connection, your power can be transferred into your Pokémon's power. True, such a bond does prove a trainer's talent…"
Master Tyron first acknowledged him—then his tone sharpened. "But I'll tell you this: the Mind's Eye is the foundation of strength. Only by opening the Mind's Eye does the path of the strong truly begin!"
Yozora's heart shook. Opening the Mind's Eye… is the first step toward strength?
"That's right. To awaken the Mind's Eye, you must abandon all distracting thoughts. The process itself is your training in self-discipline and absolute focus."
He paused, then went on:"When you cultivate unwavering willpower and perfect concentration, your life will flow unhindered."
"The human heart is like water. When the mind is still, the water is calm—you can see the moon reflected within, and the clearer the reflection, the deeper your insight. But when the heart is restless, the water churns—you can't even see your own reflection, so what insight could you possibly grasp?"
Yozora was struck silent, chewing over every word.
He was right. Focus and discipline truly mattered. When the heart settled and the mind concentrated, everything could be accomplished with twice the result for half the effort.
And what Master Tyron meant was—if he could hone that discipline and concentration to the extreme, the Mind's Eye would awaken on its own!
"And there's more. The Mind's Eye is the foundation of Focus Energy. Without opening the Mind's Eye, neither you nor Charmeleon will ever learn it. For Focus Energy requires absolute concentration."
Master Tyron gave him a knowing smile. "Now you understand what you must do, don't you?"
This time, Yozora bowed his head in complete conviction.
The Mind's Eye… I must awaken it.
Not just for himself—for Beedrill, Charmeleon, and all of his partners.
"Everyone, come out." Yozora pulled away the cloth over his eyes, then released Beedrill, Pidgeot, Gengar, Machop, Graveler, and even Mei the Miltank and Dratini.
With Charmeleon already at his side, all eight of his Pokémon now stood before him.
"A Shiny Graveler… and a Dratini?!" Ahao and the others gawked, eyes wide, jaws nearly hitting the floor. "Junior Brother Yozora's team is way too stacked…" Drool practically glistened on their lips.
Master Tyron, however, remained indifferent. His life had been too legendary—he had seen more than his share of rare Pokémon.
Only Beedrill drew a few extra glances from him. But only a few.
Peak Elite level, on the cusp of stepping into the domain of the Elite Four.
But so what?In his eyes, even the so-called Elite Four weren't worth mentioning.
Still, he was impressed by Yozora himself. For someone so young to have raised a Beedrill of this caliber—it was no small feat. The boy truly possessed rare talent as a trainer.
Not bad, not bad… far better than that fool Bruno…
"Senior brothers, give me more black cloth. My Pokémon and I—we'll all take part in this training." Yozora looked to Ahao and the others. They nodded quickly, handing him strips of cloth, some even helping to tie them directly over his Pokémon's eyes.
When Yozora tied one onto Mei, Dratini let out an eager cry, clearly itching to join in.
Yozora chuckled, patting its head. "Little guy, you're still too small. You don't need to train just yet. Just watch from the side, okay?"
At those words, Dratini puffed out its cheeks and sprayed a stream of water into Yozora's face, sulking in protest.
"Alright, alright—you asked for it. But don't come crying to me when you get knocked out." Wiping his face with a laugh, Yozora tied the blindfold over Dratini's eyes as well.
The little thing looked all smug, wriggling happily—completely oblivious to the disaster it had just signed up for.
Yozora glanced at it with pity. He could already picture the tiny serpent fainting within seconds.
Once preparations were complete, Yozora stood at the center, fastening his own blindfold once more. As their trainer, it was his duty to stand at the front, drawing the brunt of the assault.
But he failed to notice the sly grins curling on the lips of Ahao and the others. Their expressions practically said: Relax, even if you hide in the corner, we'll still make sure you get "special attention"…
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
In an instant, a storm of baseballs rained down.
This time, Yozora gave himself fully to the training, without relying on Aura. Within just three seconds, he was struck five times.
His Pokémon fared no better. Dratini fainted instantly after a single hit.
Charmeleon was battered mercilessly, red welts rising all over its body. Neither it nor Yozora managed to dodge even once.
Beedrill alone shone, evading everything by sound alone.
Gengar, on the other hand, stood tall and swaggering, red cloak fluttering behind it. Blindfolded, it grinned with smug confidence as baseballs passed harmlessly through its spectral body.
Machop crossed its arms over its chest, unmoving as a mountain, utterly refusing to dodge. The balls struck again and again, leaving crimson marks across its body—but it never flinched.
…
…
(End of Chapter)