"Crap," said Mori as they left their exam in Professor Huang's class. "This is gonna murder my grade."

"Professor Huang's an easy grader," said Sylvia reassuringly. "And you did fine, Mori. Anastasia looked great."

"Yeah, well I just hope Huang doesn't curve our grades," said Liam. "Because I think Stephanie ruined it for all of us."

Stephanie gave Liam a gracious smile.

"I think Ruth's Blaziken was in even better condition," she said with her usual clinical keenness. "Ruth, what were you feeding him? His feathers are so—."

"Speaking of feeding," said Jonah. "Anyone wanna go to Spinny Tables?"

"Ooh, count me in," said Sylvia as Ruth gave an approving squeal.

"Me too," said Vasilio. "Liam, Mori?"

"Dustin," said Mori simply. "And I think you're about to lose Liam too."

She jerked her head towards Chelsea, who was walking towards them from the opposite direction and obviously looking for Liam.

"Yep, we're losing Liam for sure," said Sylvia with a roguish wink.

Liam rolled his eyes. He didn't want to encourage Sylvia's insinuations.

"Hey, bro," said Chelsea, approaching Liam almost timidly. "Can I, uh, talk to you for a sec?"

"I'll catch up with you guys," said Liam.

"Mmhmm," said Sylvia. "You better be quick. Ruth isn't gonna wait for you."

Chelsea waited until Liam's classmates had disappeared down the main stairs.

"I have a favor to ask," she whispered.

"Sure," said Liam, trying to sound casual and confident. "Anything."

Chelsea looked visibly relieved.

"Okay, so I must have blown the Tactics exam really bad, because Professor Lloyd asked me to talk to him after school, and told me to bring a friend. Marsha is busy with SGA stuff, so…"

"Right after school?"

Chelsea nodded.

"Okay," said Liam. "I'll be there."

"Thanks," said Chelsea. "I promised I'd go to lunch with Marsha, so…"

"See you after school, Chez."

Chelsea grinned and almost skipped away. After pondering the strange summons for a moment, Liam remembered Sylvia's threat and bolted down the main stairs. He wasn't going to let Ruth eat everything without him.

Liam found Chelsea pacing nervously just outside Professor Lloyd's classroom.

"Oh good, you're here," she said. "I hope he doesn't yell at me. Do you think he'd yell? I really don't think I did that badly, but—."

Liam hadn't seen Chelsea this agitated since the incident with Mori.

"Chez, he's not gonna yell at you," said Liam. "Now come on, let's find out what this is about."

Chelsea hesitated, bit her lip, then finally followed Liam into the Tactics classroom. Professor Lloyd was at his desk, writing feedback on some older student's exams.

"I had a theory I would be seeing you," said Professor Lloyd to Liam. "I'm glad Chelsea has a mentor. Please take a seat."

He gestured to the student desk nearest his. Liam and Chelsea shared a nervous glance, then sat down beside each other.

"Your essay on The Art of Battle was excellent, by the way," said Professor Lloyd as he set down his grading pen. "I would even hazard to guess that you were the only one who actually read it cover-to-cover."

Liam tried not to look too pleased by the praise. Professor Lloyd got up and leaned casually against his desk, studying each of the students' faces in turn.

"Now," he said. "Chelsea, I—."

"Professor Lloyd, what did I do wrong?" exclaimed Chelsea. "I promise I studied really hard. Liam helped me with—."

"Oh, it's not about that," said Professor Lloyd. "Not at all. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I didn't want to say too much around your classmates. It's just that I have a strong hunch, and I want to confirm it."

Liam looked at the professor curiously. He knew Professor Lloyd's approach was sometimes "outside the box," but he wasn't even sure which box they were outside of now.

"Let's get started."

Professor Lloyd set a spoon on the table in front of Chelsea. They both looked at it in confusion.

"Try it," said Professor Lloyd, encouragingly.

"Try… try what?" asked Chelsea.

"Pick it up," said Professor Lloyd.

Glancing uncomfortably at Liam, Chelsea picked up the spoon and held it out at arms length.

"Okay," said Professor Lloyd, "Now, focus on the spoon. Clear everything from your thoughts but the spoon. Focus your mind on its shape—the space it takes up. Stretch your thoughts out towards it. Feel it. Sense it."

Liam watched in astonishment as Chelsea stared intently at the spoon. He had no idea what Professor Lloyd was trying to prove, and he was beginning to suspect that this was some kind of odd prank. Chelsea, however, was taking it very seriously. He could see beads of sweat forming on her freckled forehead. Her hands were trembling.

"Professor, what is she—?"

The end of the spoon bent. It was the slightest of changes, but Liam and Chelsea saw it as clearly as if the spoon had burst into flames. Chelsea dropped the spoon and leapt to her feet, knocking over the chair in the process.

"Oh my gosh!" she shouted. "What—what?"

Liam started to feel strangely lightheaded. The whole room seemed to be shifting and swimming before him. He reached for the desk to steady himself, but it seemed to bend beneath his hands like rubber. He could hear Professor Lloyd's voice saying… something. The spoon on the desk was convulsing. Liam watched as it twisted and writhed like a worm. Or, perhaps Chelsea was watching? The line between his mind and hers seemed strangely blurred. He felt her thoughts drifting through his, He felt a sudden rush of fear. A voice was shouted at them—Mori's voice, or Professor Lloyd's voice, or Jiu's voice—or all three at once? Everything around them was vibrating. Liam felt a hand grasp him by the wrist.

Only it wasn't his wrist. It was Chelsea's wrist, and Professor Lloyd was speaking calmly to her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, that was probably a very hard way to find out. But at least we know for sure."

"Know what?" asked Liam.

Professor Lloyd and Chelsea both looked over at him. Liam suddenly realized he was on the ground and scrambled to his feet.

"Let's talk about this over some tea," said Professor Lloyd. "That seems appropriate."

Chelsea and Liam sat silently next to each other as Professor Lloyd's Polteageist poured them each a cup of steaming purple liquid. Liam wasn't sure what to say. The sensation of experiencing someone else's thoughts and drifting in and out of their mind—or between their minds? He couldn't explain it, and he certainly didn't feel like talking about it with the person whose consciousness he had just tumbled with. Liam picked up the cup and smelled it.

"Black tea," said Professor Lloyd, "Not what you're used to here, I know, but still quite good. Now."

He leaned over the table pleasantly.

"Chelsea, you have latent psychic powers," he said simply, "Quite strong ones too, based on what we just experienced. I guess you've been experiencing some odd things throughout your life without knowing why."

"N-no," stammered Chelsea, "I mean, yes, but not my whole life. Just the past couple months."

"Hmm," said Professor Lloyd, picking up the spoon that Chelsea had twisted into a tangled knot. "Did something happen a few months ago? Something traumatic or upsetting?"

Chelsea glanced over at Liam. She seemed to be telling him that she didn't want to explain.

"Chelsea's Scraggy was… was killed by Team Power," said Liam, "This guy—Jiu, I think his name was—stepped on him and crushed him. I was there when it happened."

"Ah," said Professor Lloyd, "Chelsea, I'm so sorry. That's something most trainers never have to go through. How soon after that did you start noticing…?"

"I started sleepwalking," said Chelsea hesitantly. "Or, I thought I was sleepwalking. I would wake up in weird places—Liam and Vasilio found me in the New Court fountain once. I couldn't figure it out—."

"Teleportation," said Professor Lloyd.

"I guess," said Chelsea. "And I've been—I don't know how to explain it—I've just known other people's thoughts. It's been so confusing—I can't tell what I'm supposed to know or even where I learned it. I think I've even been cheating on tests without meaning to, just because I can hear what other people in the room are thinking."

Professor Lloyd stroked his chin and nodded.

"And no one in your family is a psychic?"

Chelsea shook her head.

"Not that I know of."

"Hmm," said Professor Lloyd, "Well, that's not unheard of. I've met a lot of psychics. Sometimes they have a psychic parent or grandparent, sometimes they don't."

"Are you…?" ventured Liam, but Professor Lloyd finished the question for him.

"Psychic? No. But I've taught students with psychic abilities before. It's an uncommon gift, but no more uncommon than, say, red hair."

Chelsea smiled.

"I'll have to let Christine Snyder know, of course," he continued, "But otherwise I'll leave it to you. You don't have to tell anyone you don't want to. But it really is nothing to be ashamed of. It can be quite the advantage as a Pokemon trainer. Do you have any Psychic Pokemon?"

Chelsea shook her head.

"Then, Liam, would you lend Chelsea your Espeon for a while? I wouldn't ask, except that—."

Liam was already handing Chelsea the Pokeball that contained his Espeon.

"Well, unless you have any questions, I believe that's everything," said Professor Lloyd. "Feel free to finish your tea. I'm going to finish grading these exams."

Liam and Chelsea sipped on their black tea in silence for a while. Liam kept looking at the twisted spoon—the incontrovertible reminder that what he had just experienced was real. Chelsea appeared to be lost in her own thoughts, or perhaps in his. After finishing his cup, Liam glanced at Chelsea, who wordlessly agreed that it was time for them to leave.

"Thank you, Professor Lloyd," said Chelsea.

Professor Lloyd waved them out of his classroom with a broad smile.

"Liam," said Chelsea as soon they were out of earshot of the Tactics room. "There's something… ugh, this is so awkward."

"It's okay," said Liam. "I'm listening."

Liam half-expected Chelsea to announce that she knew that he liked her. After all, she had to know. Liam spent most of his time with her thinking about how attractive she was. If she could hear people's thoughts, she must have heard that thought at least once.

"I want to… to try reading your mind," she said, her cheeks turning a deep red. "If that's—."

"That's okay," said Liam. "I mean, you've been doing it anyways, right?"

"Not on purpose," said Chelsea defensively. "And… not all the time. If anything I only seem to find out things I shouldn't know. I never find out what people had for breakfast—just that Mori has a sister or that John Kim likes Marielle or—."

"John likes Marielle?"

Chelsea bit her lip. Liam tried to conceal his pleasure and relief. Even if Chelsea did like John, her feelings were safely unrequited.

"I'm so bad at this. I need to get this under control so I don't keep on finding out things I shouldn't know and blabbing about them. I am nosy, but… I don't want to be that nosy."

Liam chuckled.

"Think about something right now," said Chelsea. "Something I don't know, and I'll see if I can figure it out."

Now that it came down to it, being asked to come up with a thought for Chelsea to read felt a bit like being asked to say something clever or tell an interested story. Liam was almost tempted to think "I like you. You're gorgeous. I want you to be my girlfriend." But that felt rude. Chelsea wasn't asking for him to open his heart to her. She just wanted help. So, Liam resolved to think about Claire. He hadn't seen her for a few weeks now, but his secret friendship with the Team Power admin was something Chelsea (probably) didn't know and something he didn't really mind revealing to her. So, doing his best to think about Claire and not about how beautiful Chelsea's freckles looked, Liam settled in to having the freshman try and read his mind. For a while, Chelsea didn't say anything.

"Something about… Claire," said Chelsea, squinting in concentration. "Oh my gosh, do you like her? Are you secretly dating her?"

Liam gave an uncomfortable laugh.

"You're getting something jumbled up in there," said Liam, as much to himself as to Chelsea. "Try again."

Chelsea put her hands on her temples and closed her eyes. Liam thought he could feel her cautiously exploring his thoughts. It was an uncomfortable but strangely intimate sensation. Liam noticed that Chelsea's breathing had slowed.

"You met Claire the night of the Winter Ball," said Chelsea, opening her eyes abruptly "And you made up with her."

"Mainly because of you," said Liam. "And don't tell anyone, okay? Mori especially. She wouldn't understand."

"You got it, bro," said Chelsea with a wink. "So… I really can do it. That's… I'll have to be more careful."

"Seems like the sort of thing that takes practice," said Liam. "Espie should be able to help you out."

"Well, now we know why he's so attached to me," said Chelsea, patting Espeon's Pokeball.

"Yeah, he found a kindred spirit in causing trouble," said Liam. "Do you want me to keep it a secret, by the way?"

Chelsea cocked her head to one side, as if pondering Liam's question very carefully.

"Yeah," she said at last. "For now."