This chapter and this Book does not wish to make the reader pro-Psychic. It is simply is told from this perspective. This Book and its author wishes that the reader draw their own conclusions as to where they fall on the issue of Psychics in this universe. If one wishes to read the anti-Psychic perspective, please read the Book of Raphael as well.


With a definite hesitation, Sonia, Mal, Raphael, Yannoa and Aileena d'Alcott followed the professor into the lab. He lead them through the multitude of wide, sunny corridors and through cringe-worthily messy rooms. Pokémon were in a number of them, as were other scientists and apprentices bustling through the halls. Many offered greetings in bright, cheery voices, or chirps, growls and other assorted cries when Pokémon were concerned. It was a vibrant place, full of life, and Sonia was acutely aware of the close proximity of the mental presences of the humans and Pokémon around her.

Sonia resolutely settled her mind to a comfortable state of apathy; any emotions her subconscious wanted her to feel now were too small and subtle to register.

Oak was babbling on about how vital keeping hold of one's trainer card was, about how to transfer Pokémon in and out of use, and general technobabble that all three soon-to-be-trainers clearly already knew.

Sonia, however, couldn't keep out Yannoa's mental presence. Her mother, a formidable intellectual with troves of knowledge and a certain brand of perseverance that came with having a high-grade Psychic for a daughter, was more skittish than usual. Though in her natural state neurotic and anxious and easy to reduce to an agitated puddle, the Yannoa the world saw was always a perfect facade of confidence. But Yannoa was radiating nervousness so strongly that Sonia was sure one didn't need to be Psychic to tell.

Sonia, for a split second, considered breaking the deal she'd made with her mother to respect her mental privacy and never to read her mind. But, like all split second wonderings that humans have, it was thrown away. Besides, emotionless though she may be, Sonia was not amoral.

"And here we are!"

Oak finally stopped in front of a door with a slightly askew plaque labelled 'Prof's office.' Sonia telekinetically adjusted it before it could drive her crazy. Mal noticed, giving her a cursory glance.

"So!" Oak clapped his hands together. "I'll get you your Pokédexes, badge cases and Trainer ID cards! In the meantime, you three have a final think over whether or not you want first Pokémon!"

With that, he entered the office, making the obviously improperly fixed plaque tilt. Impatiently Sonia fixed it once more, tightening it to the door as she did so.

Ehh, Zoru! What's with the telekinesis? Oh-See-Dee strikes again, huh?

Sonia shrugged to her friend. Would you rather I start twitching and sending out telepathic cries of 'help me, an askew door plaque is driving me insane'?

Zorua guffawed. Sonia turned her attention to her human traveling companions.

Raphael was honestly looking troubled. It seemed what she'd said on the topic of Sola and Lune really had hit home. Mal's expression betrayed nothing, nor did any of his surface emanation. Sonia didn't see any point in actively using power to dig deeper into either minds or emanation, and instead pondered Oak's question.

She didn't want to take or capture any other Pokémon. Extra emotional attachment was always potentially perilous, and why would she need to? It wasn't as if she were planning to get badges and enter the Indigo League.

Besides, what if none of the Pokémon even wanted to be trainer's Pokémon?

Sonia's musings were interrupted as Oak burst through the doorway, his arms filled with paraphernalia. He set it all down in an unorganised heap on a nearby table.

"So; first Pokémon." Oak surveyed them all carefully. "What are our choices?"

Raphael spoke up first. "I'm fine with my two Eevees, if that's all right with you, professor."

Mal nodded. "I must also refuse your offer."

Oak's eyebrows went up slightly, but he said nothing.

"I won't take a starter Pokémon either," Sonia said softly. Zorua smiled. "I see no need."

Oak grinned. "That's great!" He pulled out three badge cases. "Easier for me, then!" He handed them out with a wide grin. "Ah, and the parents. If you wouldn't mind entering all the information in?" He produced a device for the two to enter details in. "Once that's done, we send the information off to a computer and it'll print out your ID cards, and then we'll enter you ID number into your Pokédexes!"

Sonia, Mal and Raphael all nodded.

Oak glanced at Yannoa. "Make sure to put in that she's Psychic. And, ah, what Grade she is."

Yannoa nodded. Mother and daughter both shifted uncomfortably.

Oak remained oblivious. "And of course, the Pokédexes themselves!" Oak pulled out a sack of them, balancing them on his knee. He pulled a few from the bag. "Randall, you pick first. What colour would you like? We have red, yellow, navy blue, black, pink, and I'm sure there's green in here somewhere…" The professor began to rummage through the bag, to no avail.

Raphael looked awkward for a moment. "It's, uh, Raphael, professor. And I'd like the red, please."

"Ah yes! Raphael!" The professor lifted his hand to give himself a face-palm, almost dropping the Pokédexes in the process. Giving up, he set the bag on the ground and withdrew a red Pokédex. "Here you go, Ralph!"

Sonia wondered if the professor was doing it on purpose. No one could be that forgetful and still be a high-functioning member of society, and leading professor, no less.

"Now, Mal and Sophia! Have you two chosen?"

"Why are you the only one who's name he gets right?" Raphael muttered to Mal. Mal shrugged.

"I would prefer a black one, if possible," Mal said.

"Right away!" The professor produced one and handed it to him, turning to Sonia. "And Sophia; lucky last!" He drew a pink one out in anticipation.

"It's Sonia." Sonia narrowed her eyes and surveyed the bag. As Psychic power didn't mesh too well with electronic devices, whichever one functioned best, she'd take. Sending out a small buzz of power, it was revealed to be one at the bottom of the bag.

"One moment," Sonia stated. Zorua hopped down to the floor, anticipating what Sonia was going to do. She hoped the others would have the decency to remain quiet; what she was about to do required focus. She got a telekinetic grip on the Pokédex and held out her hand. Taking a deep breath, she tried to do something she'd only succeeded in once; teleporting something she wasn't physically touching but holding telekinetically.

She knew she'd succeeded when a pink Pokédex phased into her hand and a massive headache began to pound in her temples.

"Of course, it had to be pink," she muttered under her breath, massaging her temples.

The sound of applause made each of them turn around.

A young woman in a lab coat stood behind them, clapping. She had rectangular glasses over dark eyes and black hair. She wore red underneath the lab coat, and the identification tag read 'Vivian Fennel'.

"Fantastic!" Fennel said, stepping forward. "Simply fantastic."

Oak turned to the parents. "May I introduce a colleague and old friend of mine, Vivian Fennel. She studies Pokémon Trainers, dreams, and, to a certain extent, Psychic humans."

Sonia's careful anti-emotion net unraveled with one well placed spike of apprehension.

Fennel waved. "Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you all." She held out her hand to Yannoa.

Yannoa gave a strained smile. "I've heard of your work. I'm professor Yannoa Darkin." She shook hands with Fennel, but Yannoa's hand shook.

Fennel eyes brightened. "I've read your research! I've been based in Striaton for a bit; it's a shame we were never able to collaborate!" Fennel exchanged the same share of pleasantries with Aileena.

Oak continued. "She's one of the head scientists in a few very big experiments, including a major one that has made huge leaps in a psychiatric hospital in Johto."

Fennel smiled brightly. "Oh, he's just being nice. That Psychic experiment got shut down quite a few years ago after we lost the head scientist and our main test subject."

"Test subject?" Sonia's voice couldn't quite keep the worry from her voice. That term could not have good connotations, not when in the same sentence as 'Psychic experiments'.

Fennel didn't even blink. "Yes. A boy with very potent Psychic power. We were investigating the link between emotions and Psychic power, and the effects of Psychic noise."

Sonia felt nervous despite herself. Fennel could be anti-Psychic. She didn't seem to be, but a woman experimenting on Psychics, based in the extremely anti-Psychic Johto?

Fennel gave a bright smile. "So who are you three? Starting trainers, no doubt!"

Raphael nodded. "Yeah! I'm Raphael d'Alcott, and this is Malcolm Thrones, but he prefers to be called Mal."

Sonia didn't miss how he omitted her from the introduction. She tried to stay silent, but Fennel turned to her.

"My name is Sonia," she said reluctantly. "Sonia Darkin."

Fennel's eyebrow quirked upward. "That was an amazing display of power!" She leant in, anticipating something. "Are you, by any chance, a Grade Alpha?" She whispered. Thankfully, it worked; none of the others heard.

There were five Grades, the lowest being Epsilon, then Delta, Gamma, Beta and finally, Alpha. Epsilons and most Deltas were so weak they could get away with living relatively normal lives. Alphas — like Sabrina, like Sonia — were so powerful the government wouldn't give them a break. "Yes."

Fennel's eyes went round. "Wait… Sonia Darkin, as in the protégé of Sabrina Severn?!"

Sonia tensed slightly. How had this strange scientist heard of that? "Yes."

Fennel clapped her hands, eyes brightening, expression delighted. A sudden burst of excitement filled the room, making Sonia wince.

Fennel's face lit up, giddy. "Oh wow, I'm standing face-to-face with one of the most powerful Psychics alive! Oh, Arceus, this is amazing!" She looked ready to burst with excitement. "Oh, please can I interview you?!"

Sonia felt cold shock. Social interaction? About her powers, no less? Arceus forbid! She was about to give a definitive no when Yannoa spoke up.

"I think you should do it." Yannoa eyed her daughter. "Go ahead, Sonia."

Sonia was about to argue with her mother as well, but was stopped by Fennel squeeing in delight, excitement rolling off her in waves. She turned to Oak.

"Samuel, I hope you don't mind us borrowing your office!"

Oak frowned. "Wait a moment, Vivian—"

"Thank you so much, Samuel!" Fennel grabbed Sonia's arm, careful to only touch the fabric of her shirt and dragged her into the office, slamming the door behind them.

Eh, Sonia? Zorua called. The plaque went funny again, Zoru. Thought you should know.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Fennel said brightly. Sonia noticed that she locked the door.

Sonia and Fennel picked their way through piles of books and stacks of papers as Sonia fought to reassert emotional control over herself. Fennel finally sat Sonia down at the desk. Sitting beside her, she pulled out a pen and notepad from the depths of her lab coat and eagerly adjusting her glasses.

"So," Fennel said. "You're a Grade Alpha. That would mean you have telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation and empathy?"

Sonia resigned herself to being nice. "Yes."

Fennel's pen was poised over the note pad. "Any foresight?"

Sonia shook her head. "I'm not one of those."

Fennel nodded, writing quickly. "Sabrina is one of the few known Psychics affected by the phenomenon known as dual typing, where a powerful Psychic's recessive genes of either Fire, Ice or Electric give them another ability. As someone estimated to be even more powerful than her, do you have any extra abilities?"

Sonia hesitated. "I… I don't know." She felt like cold wind had blown through her heart. If she did have dual typing, then she'd have powers similar to either Ice, Fire or Electric. She wouldn't just be regarded with suspicion; she'd drown in government supervision. She fervently wished she wasn't dual-typed, but she couldn't know.

Fennel looked disappointed, but dutifully noted something down. When she looked back up, she was smiling again. "You know, I have this theory that dual typing is just so difficult to use and so deeply buried that many Grade Alphas have it and don't even know it."

Sonia forced a very plainly fake smile.

Fennel leant back slightly, waiting for Sonia to respond. She didn't.

"So, Sonia, how do you find being a Psychic?" Fennel said conversationally.

Sonia shifted, her hands pressed between her legs and shoulders hunched. "It's kind of like being on permanent parole."

Fennel laughed. But there was something in her emanation, something odd. It was buried quickly.

Fennel smiled brightly, leaning forward like she was sharing a secret. "You know, in Johto, Psychics have to have barcodes on their wrist."

Sonia bit the inside of her lip. She already knew, but that didn't stop it from creeping her out. She nodded again, trying to keep control of herself. She didn't like where she thought this inquisitive woman was going.

"So, you were trained directly by Sabrina?" Fennel said, either not noticing or ignoring Sonia's discomfort.

"Yes."

"How?" Fennel didn't take her eyes off of her notes.

Sonia sighed and employed the most basic form of telepathy; sending thoughts. Like this.

Fennel jumped, evidently not expecting it. Her mouth fell open.

"Amazing," she breathed, the pen slack in her grip. "Just like one's own thoughts…" After a moment of awe, she immediately jumped back to scribbling, her nose barely centimetres away from the notepad. "So you were trained directly by example? No text books that none of us non-Psychics have heard of?" Fennel grinned, as if expecting Sonia to laugh.

Sonia didn't. "No hidden text books."

Fennel tapped the pen on her chin. "Now, I was wondering… We did a few tests on the effects of emotions on Psychic noise, but those tests got cut short. Do you know anything about noise?"

Sonia nodded hesitantly. "Yes. The more emotional a Psychic gets, the more their noise acts up."

Fennel nodded, writing quickly. "Do you know why?"

Sonia nodded again. "I think it's because noise functions as a power substitute, so it reacts to emotions like power would. Of course, if you get emotional enough, your power will break out anyway…" Sonia trailed off, swallowing.

Fennel's eyes were wide. "If that's the case…" Her speech became murmurs and she scrawled more and more on her notepad.

"May I leave now?" Sonia broke in. She was feeling quite uncomfortable. Fennel looked up at her, expression shocked.

"Not yet, dear! I've barely started! Not by a long shot!"

It was Sonia's turn to go wide-eyed. Oh Arceus. Zorua, help me!

Sonia could hear Zorua mentally laughing. You lasted two minutes, Zoru! Two minutes! Priceless, Zoru!

Fennel interrupted Sonia's conversation. "Okay. So, obviously, emotion affects control of Psychic powers. You were trained to withhold yourself from feeling emotion?"

Sonia nodded again.

Fennel eagerly noted more down and pushed her glasses up. "Again, as far as we know, it is impossible for one's Psychic power to increase or decrease, meaning that if you take any power away or overuse power it will still regenerate over time to the same level as it was. There was a rumour that Sabrina developed a technique to take the power of another Psychic from them and letting them regenerate as a way to control emotional newcomers' powers. Is this true?" Fennel's eyes were hungry; hungry for knowledge.

Sonia's breath caught. This was not light knowledge. This was something dangerous, something which could result in a way to rid people of Psychic powers permanently. Did she want a person like Fennel having this knowledge? A person too curious, a person who experimented on a Psychic boy, a person whom Sonia couldn't help but worry was anti-Psychic?

"Just a rumour," Sonia said lightly.

Fennel's eyes narrowed. She clearly didn't believe her.

"Are you sure?" She asked. Her smile no longer quite reached her eyes.

"Yes," Sonia said, uneasy.

Fennel leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "It's alright, Sonia. You can tell me."

Sonia swallowed. "It's just a rumour."

Fennel withdrew, noting something down. There was distrust in her eyes.

Gradually, the questions got more dangerous. They were questions like how exactly does a Psychic drive another insane, or is telekinesis precise enough to stop another's heart, and is mind control a possibility. Sonia gradually got more and more uncomfortable and far more defensive as time went on, giving only yes or no answers where possible. Sonia didn't know how much information she was comfortable giving to Fennel, and some of the time she truly didn't know anything. Fennel was relentless, gradually becoming more aggressive in getting answers.

Enough was enough.

"If it's alright with you, I've had enough." Sonia stood up, sending her chair screeching back slightly. Her tenuous grip on emotion was failing. "I don't want to answer any more of your questions."

Fennel stared at Sonia. "Why not? We only have a little more to go!"

Sonia shook her head. "Why are you so interested in Psychics like this?"

"I'm trying to help you, Sonia!" Fennel said eagerly. "You and all Psychics."

Sonia's eyes narrowed. "Why like this?"

Fennel's eyes seemed to cloud over. "Imagine what we could do with the knowledge..." she said, almost dreamily. "Psychic power is an incredible phenomenon, one that, if harnessed properly, could advance us years into the future! Think what we could do if we could mechanise Psychic power, or weaponise it!"

"Weaponise—" Sonia drew back. "How can you think that's a good idea?!"

Fennel stood abruptly, a sudden seriousness within her gaze. Her jaw was set. For the first time, she held the authority in the room.

"Psychics are a faulty machine, Sonia," Fennel said, tight-lipped. "Psychic power is an incredible phenomenon, yes. But Psychics themselves are not a good conduit for them; they are dangerous! Human! They have emotions, and the rate of Psychic accidents seem to stay the same no matter what regions do! Taking away Psychic power from Psychics will only help them!"

Sonia stared at Fennel. "A faulty machine?"

Fennel shook her head, as though Sonia didn't understand. "In short, Sonia, I'm trying to understand how Psychic powers work. I need to understand how Psychic powers work. If you take Psychic powers and remove the Psychic, all the problems will be solved!"

Sonia gaped. "That's insane!"

Fennel arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you disagree."

Sonia's mouth closed, and she bit the inside of her lip. Fennel had a point.

Fennel continued, still tight-lipped. "Psychics are inherently dangerous, yes, but their power has its uses. The benefits to science and technology would be astronomical! And not just to science! Your kind would finally be free of having to control their emotions—"

At that line, Sonia lost all control, and her darker self burst out from within her, fed by a small, simple spark of anger.

Sonia clenched her fists, a telekinetic burst blowing the haphazard stacks of books and the shelves left and right. "Don't you dare," she hissed. "Don't you dare call us a different kind! Like we're something lesser, lab specimens to be dissected and studied and experimented on!"

Fennel lost none of her own control. "And yet, what is it that makes a human? Pokémon have thoughts and emotions, as do we. We evolved from Pokémon. And yet the main difference is power. Pokémon can tap into elemental forces that humans can access less and less as the generations go on, and in turn, humans have innovation and ingenuity that Pokémon, though sometimes in possession of incredible raw intellect, cannot match. We have civilisation and Pokémon have power. On which side of the line do Psychics fit?"

Sonia was trembling with rage. Her darker self could not be placated. Her consciousness leaped forth, like a claw shredding its way into Fennel's head.
Sonia heard the echo of a scream, Fennel's scream, as she broke through the ordered layers of the woman's mind. Sonia was ripping through with no mercy, no thought to the terrible pain she was causing in her search for answers.

Sonia dug into memories, searching, hunting. She found one. A psychiatric hospital, in the north of Johto. A young boy crying. A boy with black hair, grey eyes, and Psychic power. She heard Fennel's voice, reassuring, telling him something about how 'these experiments' were 'doing good for the world.' Sonia tried delving deeper, about to plough into more memories, when a terrible shriek slashed through her thoughts.

"Ahh!" Sonia's awareness slammed back into her head with full force, sending her stumbling back. The terrible shriek sounded in her head, never ending, never pausing, pounding away in every corner of her mind, obscuring her vision, her hearing, her connection with her body. It felt like needles scratching at her skull, all-encompassing. Sonia felt her knees hit the floor, she felt herself curling up, she felt her slim fingers knotted in her hair, covering her ears, trying to drown out the terrible noise. But it wasn't something external; it was all inside her head. All she could feel, hear, see, know, was that terrible Psychic noise, echoing and cutting and raw, the terrible pain burning out her senses.

It faded suddenly and quickly, as though at the flick of a switch. Sonia's senses returned, dully, slowly, allowing her to get control of herself. Pain thudded dully and rhythmically like echoes in her head. She felt wetness on her cheeks, the wetness of tears. Something she had not felt for a long, long time.

"What is going on?!" Yannoa's angry voice brought Sonia back fully.

The door had been forced open. Yannoa stood in the doorway, outrage on her face. Directed at the girl or the scientist, one couldn't tell. Oak, Aileena and the two boys came in behind her, their emanations wary and shocked.

Fennel stiffened, slipping her notepad and pen into her lab coat pocket. "Sonia tried to invade my mind. I pushed her out with this." Fennel held up a small rectangular device, about the length of the scientist's thumb, with a red button in one end. "It's a Psychic Noise Generator. Using the strength of a nearby Psychic, it converts their power's energy into Psychic noise."

Sonia was too weak to defend herself again. Her darker self crashed down on her once more. "That sort of device shouldn't exist! That isn't protection against telepathy; it's a torture device for Psychics!"

"You were ripping apart my mind!" Fennel snapped, all the bubbly energy gone. "What was I supposed to do?! Let you drive me insane? You Psychics all think that just because you have this power you can use it to hurt others without any repercussions!"

"It's because of people who think like you that anything ever happens!" Sonia yelled back. "We don't want to kill people or cause earthquakes! But when we lose control because people like you go around saying things like this, hurting us, everything goes to hell!" Sonia stepped toward Fennel, her vision going purple. "It's your fault! We spend all our time and all our energy controlling ourselves and our emotions to protect you, and you just make it harder and harder by oppressing us and insulting us and—"

Sonia suddenly became hyper aware of the silence around her, and Zorua's presence beside her. In that silent moment, she reasserted her own control. Sonia paused, her lips sealing. She bent down and picked up her Pokémon friend, hugging her close. "I hope you got the data you need," Sonia said, unable to keep a sarcastic edge from her voice. "But if you use it for anything remotely like that device, I swear to Arceus that I don't care what hellhole they put me in; I will rip your mind to shreds."

Without another glance at the others in the room, Sonia marched out the door.