Lucian awakened with something cold pressing against his forehead.
He opened his eyes.
Beldum’s single red eye occupied nearly his entire field of vision.
“Good morning.”
“Awake.”
“I am now.”
Beldum remained motionless.
Lucian waited.
“Do you need something?”
The Pokémon transmitted an image of the sun rising, followed by another of Lucian lying in bed.
“Were you worried that I slept too long?”
“Still.”
“People normally remain still while sleeping.”
Beldum considered the explanation.
Then he projected a new image: Lucian lying motionless inside the mountain with blood beneath his nose.
Lucian’s slight irritation disappeared.
“That was different. I was only exhausted.”
Beldum brushed against his forehead.
“Mind.”
Lucian realized that Beldum had spent the entire night watching him.
“Did you sleep?”
Beldum transmitted a negative response.
“You need to rest.”
“Not tired.”
Lucian opened Partner Synchronization.
[Beldum]
[Physical Condition: Recovering.]
[Mental Condition: Alert.]
[Energy: 61%.]
[Status: Worried.]
“You have less energy than you did last night.”
Beldum did not answer.
“Watching me also consumes energy.”
“Protect.”
“Protecting me does not mean ignoring your own needs.”
The Pokémon floated several centimeters backward.
Lucian recognized the behavior.
It was the same expression Alaric wore when he knew someone was right but did not wish to admit it.
“I’m beginning to think you chose the correct family.”
Beldum interpreted that as praise.
The door opened without anyone knocking.
Elena entered carrying a tray that was far too large for her.
It held a pitcher of juice, bread, fruit, two plates, and a container filled with a gray mixture.
Mara appeared behind her, both hands prepared to catch the tray if the girl lost her balance.
“I brought breakfast,” Elena announced.
“Next time, knock.”
“You were already awake.”
“You couldn’t have known that before entering.”
“Beldum told me.”
Lucian looked toward the Pokémon.
Beldum transmitted confusion.
“Beldum cannot speak to you yet.”
“He was floating in front of the window. That meant he was awake.”
Elena placed the tray on the desk.
“Mara made food for him.”
“Dr. Helena prepared it,” Mara corrected.
“I only stopped you from adding jam.”
“Jam improves everything.”
The gray container held a combination of crushed minerals, Berry extract, and an iron-rich solution.
It did not appear appetizing to a human, but Beldum immediately approached it.
Lucian activated Analysis.
[Mineral Supplement for Beldum.]
[Quality: High.]
[Compatibility: 91%.]
[Functions: Energy recovery, repair of metallic surface, and gradual strengthening of the core.]
[Observation: The proportion of magnetic minerals can be improved.]
The system offered a list of minor adjustments.
Lucian read them without automatically accepting anything.
The supplement had been prepared by a specialist with years of experience.
Altering the formula based solely on a recommendation he did not yet understand would be irresponsible.
“Is it suitable?” Mara asked.
“Yes. The system indicates very high compatibility.”
Mara knew Lucian had awakened psychic abilities and could perceive certain conditions affecting Pokémon.
Alaric had not told her about the system, but she had worked with the family long enough to accept an incomplete explanation when necessary.
“Then make sure he consumes it slowly.”
Beldum was already attempting to absorb the contents through his magnetic field.
The powder rose from the container in a cloud.
“Slowly,” Lucian repeated.
The cloud stopped.
Elena watched in fascination as small mineral fragments adhered to the Pokémon’s surface and gradually disappeared beneath a faint light.
“Does it taste good?”
Beldum transmitted satisfaction.
“He says it does.”
“I want to taste it.”
“No.”
“Only a little.”
“It contains too much iron and other minerals your body does not need.”
Elena took a slice of bread.
“Then he can’t taste my jam either.”
Beldum showed little interest in arguing about that.
Lucian began eating breakfast while opening the Development Plan.
The screen displayed his partner’s profile and several empty sections.
[Recommended Initial Plan.]
[First Stage: Recovery and Adaptation.]
[Estimated Duration: 14 days.]
[Objectives:]
[Restore energy reserves.]
[Fully stabilize astral resonance.]
[Evaluate magnetic control.]
[Strengthen communication with the user.]
[Adapt nutrition to an environment different from that of the colony.]
[Restrictions:]
[Avoid battles.]
[Avoid exposure to intense sources of psychic energy.]
[Do not use resources intended to improve Potential.]
[Limit move training to basic control exercises after medical authorization.]
The recommendations matched Helena’s instructions.
Lucian saved the plan.
“For the next two weeks, we’ll focus on helping you recover and learning your limits.”
“Train.”
“After one week.”
“Today.”
“The doctor said one week.”
“Strong.”
“That is precisely why you need to recover properly.”
Beldum gently struck the edge of the container against the desk.
Elena smiled.
“Now you know what it feels like to argue with you.”
“I use better arguments.”
Mara released a brief laugh as she left the room.
Lucian finished eating and dressed.
Helena had forbidden him from training his powers, but she had not ordered him to remain in bed.
Alaric even agreed to let him walk through the gardens as long as Atlas knew where to find him.
Beldum needed to learn about the inhabited areas of the island.
Elena insisted on acting as his guide.
They started with the mansion.
The girl led Beldum from room to room, explaining the purpose of each space even though he had not asked.
She showed him the dining room, the library, the music room, and a gallery filled with family portraits.
Beldum stopped in front of an image of Alaric as a young man.
Asterion stood beside him as a small Beldum.
“He was small,” Beldum transmitted.
“You can remind him of that the next time he calls you small,” Lucian said.
“Do not teach him to use information against me.”
Alaric was standing behind them.
None of them had heard him approaching.
Beldum turned around.
“Asterion small.”
The elderly man looked at Lucian.
“Too late.”
Elena pointed toward another portrait.
It showed a white-haired woman standing beside the Bronzong from the pass.
“Is she the lady you saw in the memory?”
“My grandfather’s great-grandmother.”
Alaric approached the portrait.
“Selene Starfall. The last psychic in our family before Lucian.”
The woman’s eyes were a darker lavender than Lucian’s.
One hand rested on Bronzong while the other held a staff topped by a blue stone.
“Was she strong?” Elena asked.
“Very. Not as a battle Trainer, although she possessed several powerful Pokémon. Her greatest talent was resolving conflicts between humans and wild Pokémon tribes.”
Lucian remembered the phrase from the sanctuary.
Never confuse hearing with understanding.
“I want to read her journals.”
“You will receive the first volume after lunch,” Alaric said.
“But you will not spend the entire afternoon locked inside the library.”
“You also need to rest your mind.”
Beldum positioned himself beside the portrait.
His silver surface reflected Selene’s image.
“Blood of the stars.”
Alaric fell silent.
“That is what Oracle called me,” Lucian explained.
“It was the name ancient tribes used for family members capable of forming mental bonds.”
“Do you think my powers are connected to the entity?”
Alaric’s expression changed.
“You awakened during the meteor shower and established contact with Beldum at the same time activity increased inside the mountains. It would be irresponsible to dismiss the possibility.”
“But my great-great-grandmother also possessed powers, and she wasn’t connected to Beldum.”
“Exactly. The ability exists within our bloodline. The astral energy may only have acted as a trigger.”
“We’ll have to investigate it.”
“After both of you have recovered.”
Lucian nodded.
He did not attempt to argue.
Alaric appeared more surprised by that than anything else.
The tour continued into the gardens.
Beldum was particularly interested in the metal tools, irrigation pipes, and small machines used by the caretakers.
More than once, Lucian had to ask him to release an object accidentally caught by his magnetic field.
The Pokémon in the area reacted in different ways.
The Oddish hid whenever Beldum passed nearby.
A group of Pichu attempted to touch him until an accidental discharge made his entire body vibrate.
Beldum appeared to enjoy it.
Two Machop carrying boxes stopped to examine his coloration.
A Chansey from the medical center approached, confirmed he was not injured, and gave him a small mineral tablet.
Beldum accepted the attention with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
He was not accustomed to other Pokémon approaching him without fear.
Every encounter slightly weakened his distrust.
They reached a small open field behind the stables.
Elena extended her arms.
“This is where we play.”
“You play,” Lucian corrected.
“Most of the time, I end up preventing you from entering dangerous places.”
“That also counts as playing.”
A bark sounded behind them.
Lucian turned around.
A young Growlithe stood atop a low hill.
His red fur was darker than that of other members of his species, while the black stripes surrounding his body formed clear patterns.
A small scar crossed his right foreleg, and a leaf was stuck in one of his cream-colored tufts.
Lucian recognized him.
“So it was you.”
Growlithe ran down the hill.
He did not slow down.
The puppy leaped directly at Lucian.
The boy barely managed to open his arms before Growlithe knocked him onto the grass.
“Growlithe!”
The Pokémon barked, placed both paws on his chest, and began licking his face.
“I’m happy to see you too. Now get off.”
Growlithe ignored the request.
Beldum reacted.
Psychic force surrounded the puppy and lifted him into the air.
Growlithe stopped licking Lucian.
He slowly turned his head toward the silver Pokémon.
Beldum moved him aside and helped Lucian sit up.
“Danger removed.”
“He wasn’t a danger,” Lucian said.
The puppy began moving his legs in the air.
Beldum held him one meter above the ground.
“He attacked.”
“He greeted me.”
“With teeth.”
“That is how some Growlithe say hello.”
Beldum lowered him.
The moment his paws touched the grass, Growlithe lunged at him.
Beldum moved aside.
The puppy passed beneath him, stopped, and jumped again.
Beldum increased his altitude.
Growlithe barked furiously.
“He can’t reach you,” Elena pointed out.
“That means you won.”
It was the worst thing she could have said.
Growlithe ran toward a rock, jumped onto it, and used Ember.
Several small flames emerged from his mouth.
Beldum created an unstable psychic barrier.
The embers struck the protection and scattered.
The field fell silent.
Lucian stood.
“Enough.”
Neither listened.
Growlithe lowered his body, prepared to attack again.
White light began covering him.
Take Down.
Beldum responded in the same manner.
They both launched themselves forward.
“I said enough!”
Lucian’s psychic energy expanded by reflex.
Violet pressure appeared between the two Pokémon.
It was not enough to completely stop them, but it altered their trajectories.
Growlithe passed to the left and Beldum to the right.
Both struck the ground.
Pain formed behind Lucian’s eyes.
He remembered too late that he was forbidden from using his powers.
A spoon appeared in front of his face.
Atlas was floating beside the field.
His expression communicated profound disapproval.
“It was an emergency.”
Alakazam pointed toward Beldum.
Then toward Growlithe.
Finally, he moved one spoon in opposite directions from the other.
“Yes, I should have separated them without using my powers.”
Atlas touched his forehead and examined his mind.
He had not caused any damage, but the pain increased slightly.
Elena ran toward Growlithe.
The puppy stood and shook himself.
He did not appear injured.
Beldum also rose.
They looked at one another again.
“If either of you attacks again, the tour is over and we return to the infirmary,” Lucian warned.
Growlithe released a growl.
Beldum transmitted annoyance.
“I don’t care who started it. You both continued.”
Elena raised one hand.
“Growlithe started it.”
The puppy looked at her, betrayed.
“But Beldum lifted him first,” she added.
Now the silver Pokémon stared at her.
Elena crossed her arms.
“You both behaved badly.”
Lucian nodded.
“Exactly.”
Atlas appeared to approve of the conclusion.
Lucian approached Growlithe.
He had known the puppy for nearly a year.
Growlithe lived in the breeding center with a pack used for security, rescue, and orchard protection.
His mother was one of Adrian’s Arcanine, while his father belonged to a line bred by the Starfall family for several generations.
Growlithe frequently visited the mansion gardens.
He also had a habit of following Lucian during his walks.
Until that moment, Lucian had considered him a friend from the breeding center.
The way the puppy looked at Beldum suggested he viewed the situation differently.
Lucian activated Analysis.
[Growlithe]
[Sex: Male]
[Approximate Age: 1 year and 4 months]
[Type: Fire]
[Ability: Intimidate]
[Potential: Gold Low]
[Strength: Initial Mid]
[Foundation: Excellent]
[Physical Condition: Healthy]
[Mental Condition: Jealous, competitive, and excited.]
[Moves:]
[Ember — Proficient]
[Bite — Proficient]
[Leer — Proficient]
[Take Down — Beginner]
[Howl — Beginner]
[Morning Sun — Inherited Move, Beginner]
[Special Traits:]
[Exceptional sense of smell.]
[Greater physical endurance than the average member of his species.]
[Developed protective instinct.]
[Starfall guardian bloodline.]
[Recommended Path: Balanced physical fighter with secondary specialization in tracking, rescue, and protection.]
Gold Low Potential.
It did not equal Beldum’s Diamond Potential, but it was still extraordinary for a young Growlithe.
His Excellent Foundation demonstrated the breeding center’s quality and the care he had received since birth.
He also possessed Morning Sun as an inherited move.
Lucian opened Potential Path.
[Current Potential: Gold Low.]
[Detected Improvement Paths: 4.]
[Recommended Primary Path: Awakening of the guardian bloodline.]
[Estimated Potential before evolution: Gold High.]
[Estimated Potential after a perfectly prepared evolution: Diamond Low.]
[Complete Requirements: Insufficient information.]
Lucian closed the window.
This was the perfect example of what he had wanted.
Potential was not an immutable sentence.
Growlithe could improve through training, proper development, awakening his bloodline, and a perfectly prepared evolution.
It would not be easy.
But a path existed.
The puppy placed one paw against Lucian’s leg.
“What is it?”
Growlithe barked and looked toward Beldum.
Then he looked back at Lucian.
His intention was obvious.
“I’m not going to replace you with Beldum.”
Growlithe’s tail stopped moving for an instant.
“But you also cannot attack every Pokémon that comes near me.”
Growlithe snorted.
Beldum positioned himself on Lucian’s other side.
“Partner.”
The puppy growled.
“Friend,” Lucian replied, pointing toward Growlithe.
“And partner.”
Then he pointed toward Beldum.
“You do not need to compete for the right to remain beside me.”
Both Pokémon stared at one another.
Neither appeared convinced.
Alaric appeared on the path alongside Adrian.
Elena’s father examined the burned grass.
Then he looked at his Growlithe.
“I assumed I would find you here.”
The puppy lowered his ears.
“Your mother has been looking for you all morning.”
Growlithe pretended to be fascinated by a flower.
Adrian approached Lucian.
“Did he attack you?”
“No. He tried to greet me, and Beldum thought he was a threat. Then they both decided to turn it into a battle.”
“That sounds like him.”
Growlithe released an indignant sound.
Alaric looked toward Beldum.
“The doctor was very clear.”
“He did not use any direct attacks. Only a barrier and telekinesis.”
“That still counts as training.”
Beldum moved behind Lucian.
“Do not use me as a shield.”
The Pokémon remained there.
Adrian knelt in front of Growlithe.
“Come. Your mother is waiting.”
The puppy did not move.
“Growlithe.”
The Pokémon walked toward Adrian but stopped after several steps.
He looked at Lucian, then at Beldum, and finally returned to sit beside the boy.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“It appears he has made a decision.”
“What decision?” Elena asked.
“He does not want to return to the pack.”
Lucian looked at the puppy.
“Do you want to stay with me?”
Growlithe barked.
The answer did not require telepathy.
Alaric did not appear surprised.
“He has been following you for months. Beldum’s arrival simply forced him to make his position clear.”
Lucian remembered the first time the puppy had accompanied him to the edge of the orchard, his visits to the mansion, and the occasions when he slept near the library while Lucian studied.
The bond already existed.
Lucian simply had not recognized it.
“He cannot become my partner only because he is jealous.”
“No,” Adrian agreed.
“But jealousy is not why he began following you.”
Growlithe pressed his head against Lucian’s hand.
A simple emotion traveled through the contact.
Choice.
It was not the psychic bond he shared with Beldum.
It was something older.
A puppy choosing the person he considered part of his pack.
Lucian stroked the tufts on his head.
“First, you will need to learn how to live alongside Beldum.”
Growlithe looked toward the silver Pokémon.
Beldum descended until he was at the puppy’s height.
They remained still.
Growlithe extended a paw.
Beldum examined it.
Then he touched it with one of his claws.
For a moment, it appeared they had reached an understanding.
Growlithe used Bite on the claw.
Beldum lifted him into the air.
“This is going to be a long process,” Lucian said.
Alaric crossed his arms.
“You are five years old, and you have already acquired two Pokémon incapable of going ten minutes without challenging each other.”
“That means they’ll be motivated to train.”
“It means you need to learn how to maintain order.”
The system screen appeared.
[New bond forming.]
[Growlithe recognizes the user as the central member of his pack.]
[Pending Condition: Obtain the pack’s approval and establish mutual trust within the team.]
[Mission Generated.]
[A Pack of Your Own]
[Objectives:]
[Obtain the recognition of the leading Arcanine.]
[Have Growlithe and Beldum cooperate voluntarily.]
[Understand why Growlithe chose you.]
[Reward: Will be determined according to the bond’s development.]
Lucian read the message.
This was not about capturing Growlithe.
He would need to receive his family’s approval, prove he could care for him, and persuade his two partners to accept working together.
Far more complicated than throwing a Poké Ball.
Also far more meaningful.
Growlithe remained suspended in the air.
“Beldum, put him down.”
“He bit me.”
“And you lifted him first this morning.”
Beldum lowered the puppy.
Growlithe shook his fur and sat beside Lucian.
The silver Pokémon occupied the opposite side.
Both attempted to move a little closer.
Lucian ended up trapped between cold metal and warm fur.
Elena sat in front of them.
“Now you have two.”
“Not yet. Growlithe must resolve some things with his pack.”
“He’ll choose you.”
“How are you so certain?”
She smiled as if the answer were obvious.
“Because he always comes when you’re here.”
Growlithe wagged his tail.
Beldum brushed against Lucian’s shoulder.
Fire on one side.
Steel on the other.
They were completely different.
Beldum was reserved, cautious, and mentally sensitive.
Growlithe was impulsive, expressive, and incapable of remaining still.
One came from a hidden colony in the heart of the mountains.
The other had been born in the breeding center and raised among humans.
Beldum was already his partner.
Growlithe still had to decide what place he wished to occupy.
But as Lucian watched them silently compete to move closer, he understood something.
His future team would not be formed by following a perfect chart of types, statistics, or Potential ranks.
It would be formed through encounters, decisions, and bonds.
The system could show him the paths.
Lucian would have to walk them beside his Pokémon.
Growlithe rested his head against Lucian’s leg.
Beldum levitated a small leaf and dropped it onto the puppy’s nose.
Growlithe sneezed.
Elena began to laugh.
So did Lucian.
The puppy looked toward Beldum.
The silver Pokémon pretended he had done nothing.
Their rivalry had only just begun.