The Twelfth Day in the Neverland
After a night of focused meditation, Aoki managed to process most of the memories.
The throbbing pain in his head had subsided, and his psychic abilities had significantly improved. Though he hadn't yet reached the level of an intermediate psychic—falling short of his expectations—the progress far surpassed what he had gained from absorbing the Mind Ore.
Now, Aoki could faintly sense the threshold separating him from intermediate psychic mastery.
Psychic abilities were not uncommon in the Pokémon world, but the majority of psychics remained at the elementary level—or were still untrained, much like Aoki had once been. However, the number of intermediate psychics dropped sharply, as the difficulty of advancing increased exponentially.
As for high-level psychics? They were exceedingly rare. So far, the only high-level psychic Aoki had encountered was Sabrina.
Reaching the cusp of intermediate psychic prowess was an achievement in itself, and Aoki was satisfied. But something else brought him even greater excitement.
The system had compiled the fragmented memories related to the Mew specimen in Aoki's mind and, through analysis, had deduced a method to utilize the Mew's genetic material.
At present, only one of Aoki's Pokémon could make use of it—Slowking, the Water/Psychic-type Pokémon.
Originally, after evolving into Slowking, it had leaned further into its Psychic-type development. Now, it seemed destined to embrace this path completely.
Aoki called Slowking to his side.
"Slowking, I'm going to test something on you. If it becomes unbearable, you must stop immediately," Aoki instructed firmly.
Though the Mew's fur sample was incredibly rare, to Aoki, no item was more valuable than his Pokémon.
Slowking nodded solemnly. It had an inkling of what was coming, but its resolute gaze conveyed its determination. If its Trainer believed in its strength, it would not disappoint him.
Retrieving the glass container from his storage, Aoki carefully removed the Mew's fur—stored just the day before—with a pair of tweezers.
Slowking's crown bore a red gem-like structure, distinct from the Shellder's eyes (which were positioned on the back of its head). Aoki theorized that this gem was a remnant of the King's Rock, transformed during Slowking's evolution—a symbol of its royal status.
Gently lifting the gem, Aoki placed the Mew's fur beneath it.
In truth, handing this specimen over to Team Rocket would have earned Aoki substantial rewards. But he had no way of proving its authenticity to Giovanni, nor could he guarantee that Team Rocket wouldn't suspect him if they later discovered the now-empty relic.
More importantly, Aoki had found a better use for it—strengthening his own Pokémon.
At first, Slowking showed no reaction. But as time passed, a change became evident.
Slowking's innate psychic energy was already vast, but the amount it could channel at once had always been its limitation. It was like having a massive reservoir of water but only a small pipe to draw from.
Now, as the Mew's genetic material took effect, Slowking's aura intensified. Leaves rustled without wind, and pebbles lifted from the ground, suspended in the air.
Slowking's eyes shifted from pale blue to a deep, glowing azure—a sign of its escalating psychic output.
In just ten minutes, Slowking's psychic capacity had doubled.
Aoki, standing nearby, felt the energy radiating from his Pokémon. His clothes fluttered as if caught in an unseen breeze, and he watched Slowking intently.
This experiment was risky. Could Slowking truly withstand the genetic material of a Mythical Pokémon?
When Aoki had previously absorbed traces of the Mew's energy, he had endured prolonged visions and memory overload. Now, Slowking was being exposed directly to the specimen.
Veins bulged on Slowking's forehead—a clear sign of strain.
"Slowking, that's enough! We can try again later when we're stronger!" Aoki called out, unwilling to push his Pokémon too far.
He recalled the Groudon Armor Fragment he had obtained from Team Magma—a mere fraction of its power had driven a Camerupt to the cusp of the pseudo-champion tier, though at the cost of its sanity.
Slowking was only at level 45, still far from pseudo-champion strength, though its potential far exceeded Camerupt's. Could it endure this?
Aoki wasn't sure.
Were the Groudon Fragment and the Mew's Fur comparable in potency?
He believed so.
The difference was that Team Rocket, with its resources, could potentially create an entirely new Mewtwo from the sample, while Team Magma could only replicate a flawed, berserk Groudon.
It was a testament to Team Rocket's dominance as the most formidable underground organization in the Pokémon world.
"Sloooow… KIIING!"
With a sudden burst of energy, Slowking unleashed a psychic shockwave, forcing Aoki back several steps. Only with Drapion's support did he steady himself.