Rather than answer A/C's question, Shadow averted his gaze and focused instead on tidying up his fur. Shame and embarrassment burned inside him so intensely that he felt like his insides were about to catch fire. Black fur or not, he felt like his entire body was blushing and that everyone in the room could see clearly just how uncomfortable he was beneath their gaze.

Why was it that this day had provided nothing for him but fear and embarrassment? He didn't even feel like he could make eye contact with Frost, who had likewise remained silent. Shadow hoped desperately that the Glaceon had the decency not to discuss what had just happened outside. He felt so pathetic now. Every time he had been faced with danger, he found himself ridiculously incompetent in defending himself or Leaf. Every time, he had needed to be rescued by someone else.

The shame gnawed at his thoughts. When the Riolu had attacked him, his parents had protected him. They had trusted him to protect his younger brother, but he was so worthless at this task that he wondered now if they had known this, and had assigned him to it in the vain hope that he would be able to toughen up and not be such a pathetic excuse for a Pokemon.

Then there had been the Beedrill in Eterna Forest. No matter whose fault it was that it had been provoked, he had been useless in protecting Leaf. Had the Kakuna not hatched and called off the attacker, he would have accomplished nothing but sacrificing his own life in the hope that it would satisfy the hornet's bloodlust. He would be a meaningless martyr, condemning Leaf to a guilt-filled life, forced to burden the knowledge his brother had died to protect him.

Even after evolving, Shadow had gotten nowhere as a protector. The trainer had bested him easily, and was about to capture him, if Leaf hadn't intervened. That's right, Leaf, the one he was sworn to protect and raise, had to save his pitiful hide.

And now Frost had saved him from the same trainer, and had inadvertently added further insult by noticing that the trainer was a complete rookie, not even worth considering as a real threat to the Glaceon.

What would it take for Shadow to become stronger? Would he just have to travel with a bodyguard at all times because he was so weak and pitiful that he couldn't hope to survive on his own, much less protect his brother?

Tears clouded the Espeon's eyes, but he wiped them quickly, playing it off as checking his face for any scrapes and grass stains. He didn't even feel like he could look any of the other Pokemon in the eye right now. They'd be able to see the weakness in his gaze, and sense the shame boiling in his heart. And then he'd need to dig a hole to crawl into and hide from the-

"I apologize for the mental intrusion," A/C's serene voice stated within his head, and Shadow flinched, but forced himself to relax. "I can tell that you're troubled by something, and while I will not pry for details, I dropped by to offer more time to mentoring you, if you're interested."

"Yes," Shadow muttered aloud. Leaf gave him a curious look.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," the Espeon amended quickly, feeling his face grow hot. He managed to raise his gaze to look towards A/C, and saw that the Kadabra was observing him intensely, but her eyes were gentle. Slowly, Shadow stood up and walked towards the rear of the den, as he had done the previous night.

"Let them work, Leaf," Frost stated from the pile of books at the side of the room. A quick glance back confirmed that the Leafeon had started to follow Shadow.

"Huh?" the Leafeon looked at Shadow with wide eyes, his ears drooping slightly. It was ridiculous how good he was at that expression. He recognized it as the type of look he'd give one of the parents if they told him not to do something.

"A/C and I are doing some training," Shadow explained awkwardly, taking care not to look into his brother's pleading eyes. Once you looked into those eyes, it was a black hole of no escape, and one would become compelled to appease the young Pokemon.

"Come over here, Leaf," Frost suggested. "I want to discuss my plans for your training program."

"Oh...okay," Leaf mumbled, but obligingly walked over to the Glaceon. Shadow's stomach churned with awkward guilt. Leaf was so good at manipulating his emotions, no matter the circumstance, but he was only able to overcome the discomfort by reminding himself that the training he was doing with A/C was to help him learn how to use his psychic abilities, and hopefully not be so worthless as a guardian for his brother.

"Once again, I will ask permission to link our minds," A/C stated, sitting in a cross-legged position in front of Shadow, her clawed paw clutching her spoon.

Shadow nodded, more confidently than when she had previously made the request. They had made incredible progress in a short amount of time with this approach, and he had more incentive than ever now to just get the hard part over and done with so he could start honing his abilities. Otherwise he'd be useless forever.

A/C smiled and nodded, her eyes taking on the same soft, alluring pink glow they had the other night, and the spoon in her paw glowed similarly. Shadow took a deep, soothing breath, this time becoming vaguely aware of a light buzzing in his mind. It wasn't noise, but buzzing was the best way to describe it, as if an insect had landed on his head, but wasn't doing anything to irritate him. Was this part of his increased awareness of his psychic power, or was it an actual indicator that A/C had tapped into his mind already? He looked towards A/C's glowing eyes, hoping to spot some telltale sign this was the case, but the glowing made it impossible to read.

"Remember, Shadow, look at the spoon and not my eyes," A/C said aloud, and Shadow flicked his gaze away from the Kadabra's face and instead at the silver object in her paw. He remembered what they had done last time, and he forced himself to relax, until the tension in his head faded away. The tickle in his head became more noticeable, until he could almost pinpoint the moment when their minds had linked.

'Are you there?' Shadow thought, unsure if it would actually reach the Kadabra, but he could already see a practical use for telepathy in the future, so it couldn't hurt to try.

"Yes. Telepathy works easily when minds are actively linked. I can show you later how to do it for someone when your mind is not linked with theirs. It's not much harder, just requires focus."

Shadow nodded slowly, before realizing A/C's eyes were closed, making the gesture completely pointless.

"Before we go on to anything else, I want to refresh our previous lesson. Close your eyes if that will help, and attempt to open your metaphorical doorway."

Shadow complied, closing his eyes and taking another soothing breath. He had evidently managed to make it work under the severe stress before to somehow keep the trainer's Pokeball from hitting him, but that could have been a fluke, so he wanted to really get the hang of it this time, so that he'd be able to call upon it at will.

He needed that doorway open...to picture it opening...and allowing his energy to pass through it. He felt pressure building within his head again, and at that moment, he realized that he had gotten so accustomed to the feeling that it no longer felt painful unless it had built up for a while. Relieving his stress the other day had done wonders in this regard, but it still seemed to build up in his sleep and- No, no, he had to stay focused.

He pictured energy flowing from his head, like water in a stream. This image had worked last time, and it seemed just as effective now as it had last night. He could feel energy flowing throughout his body, leaving an odd tingling sensation in the wake of its movement. He felt warm and relaxed, but he wasn't sure what to do now.

"Very good," A/C said aloud. "Don't open your eyes yet...now focus on gathering that energy together in one spot, and push it outwards. This may take a few tries."

The Espeon didn't bother nodding this time. The energy was passing through his body evenly, like water swirling in a bowl. It'd tip towards one side, then flow back to the other when left alone. He focused on the image of water flowing, but tweaked it slightly. Instead of just flowing, he wanted the water to stop in one place, like if he was sitting in front of the water's flow, causing it to build up at the point of blockage. A brief smile graced his muzzle at the image, and as he focused on that thought, he could feel pressure building again within him, replacing the tingling movement that had been passing through his body.

"Very good," A/C praised from within Shadow's mind. "Now push it outwards, forcefully. Like you're shoving something in front of you."

Shadow tensed his forehead, envisioning the blocked energy and then mentally shoving it away, as if it were a physical pile of litter. The pressure in his head released, and a tangible ripple of energy exploded outwards, sending a shiver through him as the sensation passed through his fur. He opened his eyes and glanced around. Even from the distance of across the den, Frost had looked up, and Leaf was looking around in confusion. It seemed that they both had felt the psychic ripple, but it hadn't affected them any more than a momentary sensation.

"Very impressive progress," A/C said, her eyes still closed. "Because you weren't focusing on actually damaging or manipulating anything, the psychic energy released merely dispersed throughout this area. With practice, you'll be able to direct how the energy is channeled. That will be the start of using it offensively. If you try again, and push the energy outwards, but focus on keeping it contained within a ball of energy being fired forward, and you may see different results."

"I'll try," Shadow said, taking another soothing breath. Excitement was gradually starting to replace his feelings of doubt and self-pity. Raze had definitely been right about A/C being a better tutor than Frost, no offense to the latter. Odds are, the Glaceon would not appreciate this thought being voiced aloud. Shadow was willing to bet that if he did say it anyway, Frost would probably sarcastically reply that he wasn't offended now because Shadow had added 'no offense' to the sentiment, just to get the Espeon back for the similar jab the other day.

It was easier this time to reach the step where Shadow could feel the energy flowing through him. It seemed that A/C spoke the truth that the mental doorway was easier to keep open with practice and focus. It took a little more effort to gather the energy up in one spot again, but Shadow had a hunch this had more to do with him becoming mentally fatigued. He had never exerted this much mental effort towards tasks since evolution, and much like physical strengthening, new tasks took more of a drain on a person until the body had recovered. Perhaps this would prove to be things that would gradually improve mental stamina.

"You are correct. Oh, forgive me if I distracted you. I just happened to catch that thought," A/C told him, the second half of the telepathy carrying a sheepish vibe to it. Shadow resisted a smirk. The Kadabra's interruption had briefly caused his focus to slip, and the gathered energy to trickle away from the rest, but Shadow tensed his forehead, forcing the flowing energy back together again.

He could feel a trickle of sweat or something forming on his face from the exertion, the movement of the moisture droplet creating a mild tickling sensation, but he shook his head firmly, forcing the thoughts away. By narrowing his mind's eye, he thought only of pushing the gathered energy outwards, but keeping it compacted, as if it was contained in an invisible bubble.

Shoving the mental sphere away was as trying for Shadow as pushing a physical boulder. Check that, pushing a boulder twice his size. Up a hill. He strained against it, breathing heavily from the exertion, every muscle in his body becoming sore and weak. There was something mildly troubling about his mental picture being so vivid with this portrayal. It was as if he was actually physically standing outdoors, shoving his weight against an unmoving rock, as the sun beat down mercilessly on his black fur, draining his strength even faster from the unceasing heat.

The rock occasionally shifted and moved along the hill's slope, but as soon as Shadow released any of his pressure, the rock groaned back into place, and the sun seemed to burn more intensely than ever.

Even in his mind's eye, the Espeon could hear A/C's telepathy gently urging him to keep going, but his will and strength were weakening. It was too daunting a task right now. He needed to rest, to recharge and try again another day. He wasn't ready to tackle it. And yet...

Shadow felt a second presence within his mental scenario, but he was too exhausted to look back and see who it was. But something still told him to keep trying, and as he forced himself to rise to his feet and push against the rock, he saw a second pair of paws join him in pushing. Paws that were brown at the feet and attached to tan fur at the legs. He could hear Leaf's grunt of exertion accompany his dull wheezing, but impressively, the rock moved.

The Espeon smiled weakly. That's right - he was training his mind for Leaf's sake as well, not just his own. It wasn't about being strong and able to control his psychic abilities, it was about being strong enough to protect his brother. And maybe...just maybe...Leaf was onto something when he said wanted to help Shadow take care of him. The Leafeon wasn't even half a year old and he already wanted his share of the burdens.

And how could he insist on struggling alone with that in mind?

Snapping free of his mental image, Shadow focused on nothing but the throbbing pressure in his head. The energy gathered there was at its limit, and putting everything he had behind it, he mentally shoved the energy outwards, contained within its invisible bubble. The pressure hit its peak, and then exploded outwards. Whereas his first success had sent a ripple through his fur, this time the released energy launched forward as a sphere of compressed energy, moving forward with incredible speed.

A silvery barrier formed in front of A/C's body, and the projectile exploded harmlessly against it, causing Shadow to cringe, abruptly aware of how close he had come to accidentally blasting the Kadabra in the face. When the barrier disappeared, however, he could see that the Kadabra was smiling, unfazed by the close call.

"That was so cool!" Leaf squealed, his eyes wide with amazement. Frost stifled a snort of amusement, but he seemed pleased as well, but far more composed than Leaf on the matter.

"That was an impressive achievement," A/C agreed, her spoon and eyes no longer glowing. Shadow nearly fell over on the spot, the reality of how much the session had taken its toll on his mind and body rushing back all at once. The Kadabra winced, but smiled again when Shadow managed to recover his footing. "You will...definitely need to rest after that. If you do practice in the future, do be careful of who is around you, and definitely don't overdo it. You will find it easier and less draining with time, but the same is true for all forms of training."

"I figured," Shadow panted.

"Any questions or concerns?" A/C wondered, idly twirling the spoon in her paw. At one point, Shadow noticed she released her grip entirely, yet the spoon continued to twirl in mid-air until she grabbed it again.

"What about...defensive techniques?" Shadow wondered, making his way towards the side of the den.

"Those are actually easier to produce," A/C mused. "Many psychics find that they are able to erect defensive barriers purely on instinct, when they find themselves in danger. However, it is not advisable to assume you're protected, as all forms of psychic abilities can fail or weaken when under significant stress, and these instinctive defenses trigger at those times."

"Then why mention it at all?" Frost asked. The timing of the question seemed like he was being snide, but his tone was genuinely curious. A/C paused, as if also debating the sincerity of the question.

"It seems such defenses operate more on a subconscious level than most other psychic techniques. It is important that you master the ability to consciously produce defense, but because of how psychics at times produce defensive measures on instinct, they are easier to perform, if still challenging to master."

Shadow frowned, settling himself down on the den floor. It was becoming increasingly difficult to follow along with A/C's explanation. Her words were going in one ear and out the other for all the good it was doing him. Rather than force himself to try to pay attention, he simply nodded. It would be a little embarrassing to admit later that he hadn't understood what she said, but he planned to ask for mentoring on that front anyway.

"Okay. Um...I'm going to take a-" Shadow stopped talking abruptly, and at first no one seemed to notice, perhaps assuming he had fallen asleep mid-sentence. The Espeon's silver eyes widened, various emotions flitting across his face. Confusion, shock, pain, and finally fear. Coldness seeped into every inch of his body, smothering him with an icy chill. His heart pounded painfully against his ribs, and his vision became blurry as tears of pain forced their way free from his eyes. It was as if he had caught an illness and all the symptoms had appeared simultaneously within that very moment.

"Shadow?" Leaf asked, his voice rising in pitch out of concern. A/C and Frost looked over, but Shadow barely noticed. His breathing had become shallow, almost hyperventilating, and coldness continued to spread through him. His paw instinctively came upwards to grasp at his chest. It felt now like something was boring its way into his heart, and fear was rapidly overtaking his mind. A mindless panic that escalated his heart rate. It was as if the nightmares he had suffered from lately had left their mark, yet he knew he hadn't been asleep this time. He hadn't even thought about them since that morning.

And then the feelings vanished. The warmth of the den rapidly flowed through his numbing limbs, and the tightness in his chest and body loosened, allowing air to once again flow freely in and out of his lungs. Yet he twitched, staring blankly into nothingness.

"Shadow? Are you okay? Say something?" the Leafeon whimpered. The Espeon blinked, alertness returning to his eyes. The Leafeon was standing anxiously in front of him, and Shadow felt a heavy twinge of guilt drop into the pit of his stomach at the sight of Leaf's eyes glistening.

"I'm...okay, I think..." he muttered.

"What happened?" Frost asked, making his way cautiously towards the two brothers. A/C said nothing, but her eyes were narrowed in thought, but Shadow didn't dwell on it.

"I don't know," he muttered. Unable to take the sight of Leaf on the verge of tears any longer, he wrapped his paws around the Leafeon and hugged him close. Even with the pain and cold out of the picture, he felt very small and afraid, like a kit cowering in the dark. That fit well, actually. He felt helpless and vulnerable, and had no idea why. It was a nameless terror that had overtaken his mind. The warmth of the Leafeon's body soothed him, like a security blanket clutched close to his heart.

"Panic attack," A/C murmured seriously.

"From what?" Frost asked blankly. "There was nothing remotely panic-worthy happening."

A/C frowned. "Shadow was mentally exhausted. His mental and emotional defenses would have been almost nil. Any form of mental assault would have hit harder than otherwise possible. It could have been an actual mental attack, some lingering traces of my psychic signature, or even something otherwise undetectable, like radio signals."

"That hardly narrows down the list," Frost noted dryly. "Are you sure you're all right, Shadow? Did you have any idea what happened?"

"I'm fine...probably," Shadow said. His brother's proximity was making him feel much better, and Leaf seemed to be enjoying the closeness because he had yet to protest or even try to wiggle away from his brother. "I don't know, maybe?"

"Maybe?" A/C repeated. "Did you somehow pinpoint the source of your...panic?"

The Espeon hesitated before answering. The vibe had been so brief, but he had definitely felt it, just before the panic and pain overtook his senses.

"It's vague. Too vague to mean much..." he said finally.

"Your instincts tend to be very accurate," Frost noted calmly. Shadow winced. Part of him wanted to offer as much insight as possible, but a stronger part of himself felt nothing but fear for the source of those feelings. It was something he felt every time he had his nightmares, a familiar but terrifying vibe. He wasn't ready to face that fear.

"Is it nearby, or far away?" A/C wondered softly.

"Near...but not dangerously so. But too close!" Shadow answered, holding Leaf closer to himself. Why was he feeling like such a coward? Why was he cowering like a kit describing an imaginary threat?

"Oww..." Leaf complained, and Shadow loosened his grip slightly. Leaf adjusted his positioning and began to nuzzle against his brother's chest, the touch oddly soothing.

"Can you give us even a vague direction?" Frost asked, nonplussed. Shadow shut his eyes, taking a soothing breath the best he could, but the air caught in his throat briefly, as if he was on the verge of crying.

"That way," he said finally, pointing his paw towards one of the den walls. All the other Pokemon glanced in that direction.

"That's a wall, Shadow," Leaf said helpfully.

A/C frowned and peered outside, pivoting her body to face the indicated direction. After a moment, she looked back at Shadow.

"Interesting..."

"What is?" Frost demanded, joining A/C at the den entrance. Leaf made to follow, but Shadow tugged him back. He still needed his brother's comfort.

"For several months, whenever I've been working at the Center and listening to the radio that plays in the lobby, I would occasionally get an odd vibe from the Ruins to the east. Distant enough to disregard, but persistently present. I somehow doubt it's a coincidence that when your mind was exhausted, you picked up on such vibes."

"Does everyone have to talk with big words?" Leaf complained.

"I can't understand what you're getting at," Shadow sighed. His brain was so fried he was amazed he was even conscious right now.

A/C tapped her spoon against her chin. "You're pointing at the Solaceon Ruins. Whatever you're sensing is in there."