Cain bought a regular fishing rod at the largest fishing shop in Vermilion City, and then, under the enthusiastic recommendation of the owner, he also purchased bait that supposedly had a great effect. Additionally, he bought a small chair and headed straight to the beach.
Although the weather today was average, there were still quite a few people fishing on the beach.
The fishermen probably knew that, in fact, the better the weather, the harder it might be to fish. Of course, for experts, there isn't much difference.
Cain walked through the crowd and continued on until he reached a secluded part of the beach where there were almost no people. He found a spot under a rocky cliff, set up his chair, sat down, and began working with the fishing rod.
In truth, Cain had never fished, not on Earth or in his previous life. He didn't know anything about this skill and had simply decided to try it on a whim today.
He just wanted to find a way to relax, to ease his always-tense body. Suddenly, he thought of fishing as a way to calm his mind, and being so close to the sea, he decided to give it a shot.
Cain, somewhat clumsily, placed the bait on the hook. After casting the rod several times, he finally managed to get the hook to fall in the right spot. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and realized that fishing wasn't as easy as it looked.
Slowpoke, meanwhile, was lying calmly next to Cain's chair, watching his clumsy movements. It tried to suppress a laugh, attempting to stay composed, although Cain had already noticed.
Cain coughed awkwardly to get Slowpoke's attention, suggesting it keep its composure, and then released Skorupi and Miltank.
With Cain's current identity in the League, the presence of Slowpoke and Miltank posed no problems. Since Skorupi was appearing for the first time and Cain hadn't yet decided what role it would play among his Pokémon, he let it out to enjoy a bit as well.
Skorupi, as soon as it appeared, was very interested in the sand. It soon buried itself completely, leaving only its tail visible, moving above the surface.
In the last battle the day before, Skorupi had leveled up twice, reaching level 14. However, from now on, its leveling speed would likely slow down.
The quick level-up was because, during its juvenile phase, it had accumulated enough to enter the growth phase, experiencing a rapid level increase. In the future, further improvements would require constant honing.
Leaning back in the chair, Cain planned his Pokémon's training, feeling completely relaxed.
Even the smell of the sea felt fresh and invigorating. His mind was completely clear, and the gentle breeze brushing his face seemed to open all the pores in his body.
Slowpoke, surprised, looked at Cain, noticing something strange. Through its psychic perception, it felt that Cain was gradually disappearing, though it could still clearly see him.
Understanding Cain's state, Slowpoke quickly connected telepathically with Miltank and Skorupi, explaining the situation and asking them not to disturb Cain or let anyone else interrupt him.
Miltank nodded seriously, and even Skorupi, who was usually playful, emerged from the sand and positioned itself quietly next to Cain, watching for any movement in the sand to prevent anyone from approaching.
But what was Cain actually doing? Cain wasn't clear on what he was doing. If he had to explain it, he would say he was simply in a blank state.
However, this "blankness" was a bit special.
Cain felt his mind was empty, without needing to think about anything, simply enjoying the moment. Slowly, he seemed to see the system in his mind, a black card glowing with a peculiar light, flashing again and again. When he tried to touch it, he came out of that state.
Opening his eyes, Cain saw Slowpoke and the others on high alert and quickly asked, "What's going on? Is there an enemy nearby?"
Slowpoke, noticing Cain had awakened, hurried to use telepathy to explain his previous state.
"So, I entered what psychics call a rare state of deep meditation?" Cain said in amazement, recalling what he had read in the psychic training manual Sabrina had given him.
Psychics, in their daily lives, can occasionally enter a state called deep meditation. No one knows exactly how to access this state, but those who manage to often experience a significant increase in their psychic powers.
To confirm Slowpoke's account, Cain took out his psychic power training manual and compared the descriptions. Finally, he confirmed that he had indeed entered a state of deep meditation.
"System, scan my entire body and check if there are any changes," Cain ordered, wanting to know what had changed in his body. And for that, the best option was to ask the system, which constantly monitored his body.
"Beep! It has been detected that the user entered an unknown state. Brain activity reached 300% of normal and has now returned to normal. However, the user's overall brain activity has steadily increased to twice the usual level," the system reported, showing a 3D model of Cain with his brain activity levels.
"So, has my psychic ability improved significantly?" Cain asked excitedly. For him, his psychic abilities had always been a serious issue, almost more frustrating than if he hadn't awakened them at all.
Cain focused and began to move the sand with his psychic power.
First one grain, then two, then three...
The number of sand grains started to increase, but so did the pressure on Cain. He soon reached his limit, his face turning red with effort.
In front of him was a small pile of sand, about the size of two thumbs, contrasting with Cain's reddened face as he struggled with all his might.
Although he had experienced an improvement in his deep meditation state, and his psychic ability had doubled, considering his original skill, the improvement wasn't much.
Cain couldn't help feeling frustrated. After all the effort, and with the system and others on high alert, his psychic power had only marginally improved. Such a rare opportunity for deep meditation seemed to have been wasted.
If Cain had psychic abilities as powerful as Sabrina's, another deep meditation session would have meant a remarkable improvement in his abilities.