Chapter no.468 Psychic Therapy

[ Author Note:

Before you start reading this chapter, I want to share a few words with you, my dear reader.

I apologize for not updating this fanfic since April 17th. A lot of stuff happened in real life; I got busy with various things, but the biggest reason for my absence was my rewrite of another fanfic:

Naruto: The System Files.

I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't yet.

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From today onwards, "Pokemon: An Unexpected Journey" will be updated daily. Here's a glimpse of the upcoming chapters:

- Chapter 468: Austin goes to therapy.

- Chapter 469: Austin's therapy ends.

- Chapter 470: Austin reunites with Brock and Misty.

- Chapter 471: Austin realizes he has about 1 hour before the Pokemon League tournament registration closes, and he needs to get 4 gym badges within that hour. Austin accepts the challenge with a grin.

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I hope this glimpse gets you excited because the Kanto region is ending, and we'll be moving onto other regions.

Also, I want to announce that I am creating a new Pokemon fanfic, "Pokemon: Path to the Unknown." This will be a more realistic take on the Pokemon universe, featuring elements like trainer license exams and a system where different ranks, like Pokemon Master, have clear definitions. This new fanfic promises to surpass "Pokemon: An Unexpected Journey" in terms of quality, fights, and plot. I plan to start uploading it after I have written around 30 to 40 advance chapters, so look out for that beast.

And yes, before anyone asks, I am not abandoning or dropping "Pokemon: An Unexpected Journey" just because I am currently writing "Pokemon: Path to the Unknown."

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Read advance chapters of all my works or want to support me .

https://www.p.a.t.r.e.on.com/Adamo_Amet

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Join us on discord :

https://discord.gg/DXv2nkTB

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Yellow's heart pounded in her throat as she stood next to Austin and the others outside the mansion.

Her foot tapped nervously on the ground, stirred by the breeze from Kitty's wings.

She glanced over at Austin, who seemed unperturbed as he scratched Pikachu's head.

Green was absorbed in her book, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

I must be the only one feeling anxious, Yellow thought.

Just an hour earlier, Austin had shared the news about the therapist arriving soon.

It was a relief, knowing Austin would get the support he needed, but her mind buzzed with questions.

What kind of therapist are they?

What sort of treatment will Austin receive? How long will it all take?

And why are we waiting outside?

As these thoughts swirled in her head, a sudden movement in front of them snapped her out of her reverie.

Space seemed to warp, and a girl about 16 years old stepped through the distorted air. Her hair, thigh-length and adorned with accessories that resembled pink butterfly wings fluttering at the ends, captured Yellow's attention.

She wore a long-sleeved white blouse tied at the chest with a bow, a pink dress, and pink shoes accented with white bows.

The appearance of the newcomer put all the Pokémon on alert.

The girl hesitated, floating backward slightly as her Pokéballs hovered in the air.

"You must be Caitlin," Austin said, his voice calm, motioning for everyone to relax.

"Yes, and you must be Ash Ketchum," Caitlin replied, her gaze turning from Austin to Yellow.

"Of course, sorry about all this. It's not every day you see space and time bend like that," Austin said with a reassuring smile.

Caitlin nodded.

"Long-distance teleportation is very eye-catching," she remarked, still watching Yellow.

Caitlin flinched as a wave of hot breath caressed her neck.

Turning around, she saw Lucario standing close, its powerful aura washing over her, so intense that one of her floating Pokéballs sprung open.

In an instant, a mysterious Pokémon appeared between her and Lucario.

This new Pokémon was humanoid with a sleek black body. Its head, teardrop-shaped, was topped with a white, bow-like accessory. Her face, a stark purple against its black skin, featured a zigzag pattern that mimicked bangs. Its large, heavy-lidded eyes were deep blue, complemented by red lips and a series of flat, black disks that ran down the sides of its head. The body, divided into four tiers, was accentuated with more white, bow-like fixtures, and it stood on stubby pink feet.

"Gothitelle!"

Austin, intrigued, suppressed the urge to consult his Pokédex and stepped forward.

"Oi, old man, stop that," Austin called out as Lucario nonchalantly nibbled on a piece of chocolate.

"What, I was just checking to see if she was adequate enough to help you," Lucario huffed.

"Alfred," Austin raised his voice.

"Yes, sir, ladies and gentlemen, please follow me," Alfred responded.

Beside him floated Kadabra, oddly engrossed in a Playboy magazine.

"Alright, I'm only going to say this once, so let's hope it sticks: either we do this right, or we don't do it at all."

"Please tell me you're talking about teleportation," Austin quipped, as Kadabra smirked at the magazine.

"Yes."

"Ahem, what's going on?" Green inquired, looking puzzled.

"Simple, you all are going to enjoy the day outside while Caitlin and I have our session in peace," Austin explained.

"I don't think therapy is a one pump wonder, unlike me," Kadabra joked.

"Don't worry, Caitlin is the best in the game, right?" Austin said, turning to find Caitlin leaning against Gothitelle, already asleep.

"A day without seeing your face, today is the best day ever," Lucario remarked.

"Pikachu," Pikachu and the others chimed in.

"Immediately call us, okay?" Yellow said, concerned.

Austin nodded, and Green smiled.

"I gave Alfred the money,"

Green huffed as everyone left with a teleport, leaving behind a sleeping Caitlin, a vigilant Gothitelle, and a contemplative Austin.

Austin seized the moment to check his Pokédex.

"Gothitelle — The Astral Body Pokémon. It has tremendous psychic power, but it dislikes conflict. It's also able to predict the future based on the movement of the stars."

"Hmm. Dislikes conflict yet ready to throw down with a Lucario for her trainer," Austin observed, causing the psychic Pokémon to blush.

"Best partner I could ask for," Caitlin yawned, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Why are all psychics so sleepy?" Austin joked, knowing well that Yellow often slept to keep her alternate ego sealed away, but curious about Caitlin's drowsiness.

"A psychic like me has a highly developed temporal lobe which creates a lot of waste products inside my mind every time I use my psychic powers. To eliminate these waste products I need to go to sleep for long periods of time," Caitlin explained.

Austin nodded.

"Do you want to drink or eat something?"

"Water is fine," Caitlin replied as Austin opened the door for her.

"You know, when Cynthia said you were someone interesting, I didn't expect all of this," Caitlin remarked as she stepped through the door.

"Well, I guess the mansion may be overkill," Austin chuckled, closing the door behind them.

"No, I mean this is the first time I ever saw an aura user and a psychic in one room. Also, those Pokémon, I could tell that along with being strong, they're being amazingly taken care of," Caitlin observed, stopping as she noticed a nervous Musharna.

"I am sure you recognize her. She was very nervous to meet you."

"Mu!" Musharna vocalized nervously as Caitlin squatted down.

"Look at how you have grown. I am sure I have someone here that would be ecstatic to meet you," Caitlin said as she took out her Pokéball and released her own Musharna.

The two Musharna slowly floated toward each other. Austin's Musharna released a dream cloud that was absorbed by Caitlin's Musharna.

"What are they doing?" Austin asked, feeling the psychic energy being shared between the two Pokémon.

Austin watched, intrigued, as Caitlin interacted with the dream cloud produced by the Musharna.

She explained, "Oh, it's just a thing that the Munna and Musharna line does. Whenever a young Munna or Musharna meets their parents, they connect by sharing their most precious memories."

Caitlin then pinched a bit of the dream cloud and gently sprinkled it over her hand. Turning to Austin, she added, "From what I saw, most of the precious memories of Musharna are with you."

Caught off guard by her words, Austin felt his cheeks warm up with a blush.

"You wanted water, right?" he stammered, almost stumbling as he hurried towards the kitchen.

Caitlin chuckled softly.

.....

"This is a nice garden," Caitlin remarked as she settled into the gazebo, her gaze drifting from the cookies in front of her to the lush garden and then to the distant lake. "I think this peaceful place is perfect for our session."

Austin nodded as he stirred his tea.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, I'm your therapist," Caitlin replied, gesturing for him to continue.

"How do you know Cynthia?" Austin inquired as he poured more tea, his hand pausing slightly, almost spilling it.

"Have you heard of the Battle Frontier?" Caitlin asked.

At her words, Austin's actions froze for a moment in recognition.

"You're a Frontier Brain," Austin realized, finally understanding why he had this deja vu feeling with Caitlin.

"I was a Frontier Brain at the Sinnoh Battle Frontier. I met Cynthia a year before she became the champion."

"So, you became friends when Cynthia challenged the Battle Frontier?" Austin asked.

"Not exactly. We first met there, but we really became friends later when she was visiting Unova," Caitlin explained, and Austin smiled in response.

"So, since I'm Cynthia's friend, do I get the regular therapy session, or do I have to pay extra for the psychic therapy?" Austin joked, his eyes locked on Caitlin as he stirred sugar into his tea.

Caitlin looked surprised for a moment, her eyes widening, but she quickly regained her composure.

"You investigated me?" she asked calmly.

"Ignorance has cost me a lot in the past. I can't afford more losses," Austin replied, a heavy silence falling between them, punctuated only by the soft clinking of his spoon against the cup.

"Do you know what the Mirror World is?" Caitlin asked, her eyes fixed on her tea, but her tone filled with reverence.

"Yes," Austin replied, his mind drifting to theories of different realities—Mirror World, Distortion Realm, Physical World, and The Abyss.

"It's conscious," Caitlin dropped the bombshell, surprising Austin to the point he felt he must have misheard.

"How can an entire plane of existence be conscious?"

"What do you mean by that?" Austin asked, feeling his throat dry as he sipped his tea.

Caitlin took a deep breath before continuing, "Do you know what the psychic type is?"

"Manipulation of aura?" Austin replied, recalling how aura obeyed the law of energy conservation.

"Yes, in a way. But out of all 18 Pokemon types, there are four that are unique: aura formed from the souls of the dead—ghost, the strongest souls of the living—dragon, nightmares—dark, and dreams—psychic," Caitlin explained, as Austin nodded, intrigued.

"Dreams and consciousness are two sides of the same coin. Where there is consciousness, dreams will form, and vice versa. So, when you have an entire plane of existence made of dreams, there is..."

"Consciousness," Austin finished Caitlin's sentence.

"Exactly. The Mirror World is conscious, and that consciousness manifests in two ways: one is a Pokemon Avatar..."

"Mew," Austin interjected, remembering.

"And the other is the flow of psychic power that exists in the Mirror World," Caitlin concluded.

"About 80 years ago," Caitlin began, her voice carrying the weight of history, "a psychic rediscovered an ancient ritual. It allowed a medium to connect with the Mirror World and create what's called a psychic contract. It's a contract with a God as an arbiter, a contract that can't be broken."

"That must have caused quite the chaos," Austin remarked, imagining the frenzy among the ultra wealthy who sought such guarantees.

"It would have, but psychics aren't exactly common or weak," Caitlin explained, and Austin nodded in understanding.

"So, if I had to guess, psychic therapy is like a psychic contract between a therapist and a client, with the condition of privacy?"

"Memory erasure," Caitlin confirmed, and Austin nodded again, intrigued.

"It's quite enticing—a therapist who helps with your deepest secrets, with their memories erased. To this day, I have no clue how many horrible secrets my ears have listened to, which is why I only do psychic therapy sessions for clients willing to pay top dollar," Caitlin revealed as she asked him.

"Do you want to do a psychic therapy session?"

"Do I get a discount for being Cynthia's friend?" Austin joked, but Caitlin's response wiped the smirk from his face.

"Cynthia has already paid for your psychic therapy," Caitlin replied, and Austin chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, let's do this," he agreed.

Caitlin nodded and placed her hand in the air, causing the world around the gazebo to crack like a mirror, reality peeling away into a white void.

"Mirror world?" Austin asked, feeling overwhelmed by the infinite everything surrounding him.

Caitlin confirmed with a nod, her Musharna appearing and emitting a black psychic cloud that coalesced into a sheet of paper, words forming upon it.

...

[ This agreement ("Agreement") is entered, between Ash Ketchum, hereinafter referred to as "Client," and Caitlin Miller-Crews, hereinafter referred to as "Therapist."

1. Purpose of Agreement:

The purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms and conditions under which the Client engages the services of the Therapist for psychic therapy sessions.

2. Terms of Engagement:

2.1 The Client agrees to engage in psychic therapy sessions with the Therapist, during which the Client may disclose any information or concerns without fear of judgment or repercussion.

2.2 The Therapist agrees to provide a safe and confidential environment for the Client to express themselves.

3. Conditions of Confidentiality:

3.1 The Therapist agrees to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all information disclosed by the Client during therapy sessions.

3.2 The Client acknowledges and understands that the Therapist will not retain memories of the conversations held during therapy sessions, as per the conditions of this Agreement.

4. Prohibition of Deception:

4.1 The Client agrees not to provide false or misleading information to the Therapist during therapy sessions.

4.2 The Therapist acknowledges that the Client's honesty and openness are essential to the effectiveness of the therapy process.

5. Arbitration:

5.1 The Mirror World, hereinafter referred to as the "Arbiter," shall serve as the neutral party in any disputes arising from this Agreement.

5.2 Both the Client and the Therapist agree to abide by the decisions of the Arbiter in matters related to the interpretation or enforcement of this Agreement.

6. Duration and Termination:

6.1 This Agreement shall remain in effect for the duration of the psychic therapy sessions between the Client and the Therapist.

6.2 Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing written notice to the other party.

7. Governing Law:

7.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Mirror World.

8. Entire Agreement:

8.1 This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, negotiations, and understandings, whether written or oral.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

Client: _____________________________ [Signature]

Therapist: __________________________ [Signature]

_______________________________________

[ Author's Note: Okay, so I know there are a lot of callbacks and references in this chapter, so let's get to it.

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1- First is the explanation of why psychics sleep a lot, for example, Abra or Yellow before her training with Sabrina.

The explanation is something I took inspiration from the theory of waste elimination in the brain during sleep, which was coined relatively recently, in 2013, by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center. This groundbreaking theory proposes that during sleep, the brain undergoes a process of waste removal, similar to the lymphatic system's function in the rest of the body. Specifically, the glymphatic system, composed of glial cells and blood vessels, is believed to clear away metabolic waste products, such as amyloid-beta and tau proteins, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. This process occurs more efficiently during sleep, as the space between brain cells expands, allowing cerebrospinal fluid to flush out toxins more effectively.

Cool, right?

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2- Munna and Musharna sharing memories is just a neat world-building idea I thought to give more distinction to an individual Pokemon line.

Should I add more similar stuff?

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3- The 4 Realities. This point was brought up during Chapter 280 and reappeared again. The 4 Realities are obviously going to show up later on when Austin goes to the Abyss and the Distortion World.

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4- Personally, I don't think Austin as a character would open up even to his therapist about the majority of his problems, so I added the psychic contract thing, which is going to occur again and again in the story. It's not going to be a one-off thing.

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Now, with this down, what should Austin reveal to Caitlin? Comment down below.

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Thank you for enjoying my work, and thank you for your support. I hope you guys have a blessed rest of the day, and please give me your thoughts in the comments.]

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[Omake Paragraph]

In areas where Azurill, not Marill, come out of Marill eggs, females make up three of every four births to Marill and Azumarill mothers. Yet after the Azurill evolve, males and females are equal. This is because an Azurill's large, bouncy tail is one of the most remarkable ways to store and alter genetic material that nature has ever devised; one based not on the circumstances of birth, but on ability and merit.

Unlike most rodents (and indeed mammalian pokemon), the reproductive organs of the Marill line are stored in the tail. In Azurill, and to a lesser extent in its evolutions, the tail is also used for everything from battle to locomotion, and it is how it is used in this phase which determines a "female" Azurill's adult gender. Marill and Azumarill females lay many eggs which take a long time to hatch, and must be strong enough fighters to protect their clutch from predators. Consequently, a tail used more often as a bludgeoning weapon creates a female in adulthood. The male of the species does not participate in raising children, but must woo females with grand splashing displays and maximizes reproductive success by preserving its own survival. This is why Azurill tails used for splashing and bouncing vast distances develop into male organs.

It was once thought that Azurill warriors became women and the weak became men, but this is untrue; the quick and the flashy become men and the weak get eaten by predators. Yet far more choose to stay and fight, so one in four Azurill must be made male at birth to maintain balance.

This method of gender selection, although unusual, is astonishingly successful; Marill are far more common in places near Sea Incense than in places where they are born into that form.