Chapter 120: The Abilities of the Undying Flame

Seeing the "Undying Flame" finally appear on the display screen—or rather, the Gate of Truth—Amu let out a sigh of relief. This also served as side confirmation that the complete powers of the "Moon Path" and the "Mother Path" were indeed slumbering within him, waiting only to gradually awaken.

However, using psychic abilities to stimulate the Divine Paths felt a bit too "stimulating." Amu had only wanted to awaken the Undying Flame!

Casey looked solemn for a moment. What were those two things that had just "flashed past"? Their level seemed significantly higher than that of the Undying Flame! Yet, seeing Amu’s reaction, Casey realized he only had a vague understanding of them himself, so she didn't press for answers. She simply said, "Now is the time. Walk in and take 'it' out."

Hearing this, Amu swallowed hard, then stepped nervously into the "mirror." As expected, the mirror had transformed into a door. As Amu stepped through, the Undying Flame, which felt so warm and inviting, was right before him.

Amu could clearly see that although it appeared to be a ball of fire, its core was actually a floating feather! He reached out both hands and cradled the flames.

From Casey's perspective, Amu had simply walked through an empty door frame, appeared on the other side, and suddenly had a ball of "fire" in his arms. Casey then severed the "connection" with Amu—maintaining it without emotion, relying purely on technique, was exhausting! Although Casey’s mental strength and stamina were far superior to Amu’s, she was still bound by physical limitations and couldn't maintain such a state indefinitely.

For Amu, however, it was enough. The "flames" in his arms gradually faded, but inside his "heart," they began to burn. Under Casey’s guidance, Amu had mastered the basics of psychic power, which allowed him to activate the Undying Flame.

Previously, after the Undying Flame had merged into his body, Amu hadn't been able to perceive it at all, save for feeling slightly more energetic. Now, however, he could use his newfound telekinetic power to faintly sense its presence and put it to work. The effects of the Undying Flame naturally surfaced in Amu’s mind.

Seeing Amu standing there with his eyes closed, frowning, and silent, Casey did not rush him, waiting until he opened his eyes.

"Do you know the function of the Undying Flame?" Casey asked calmly.

"Yes. There are two main effects," Amu replied, his tone laced with uncertainty. "First, it allows me to force one of the Fire-type moves mastered by the Pokémon I am currently commanding to be explicitly displayed. Second... it acts like a weakened version of the 'Regenerator' ability, but one that applies to all my Pokémon?"

After all, he hadn't tested it yet; he only had a subtle sense of the ability. "Forcibly displayed" essentially meant an extra move slot. Normally, there were only four slots for active moves, but the Undying Flame allowed for one additional slot, provided the move was Fire-type. The target was the Pokémon currently under his command—not every Pokémon he had "captured," but those he was actively directing.

Professional trainers often seemed to make wild Pokémon significantly stronger the moment they were caught. This wasn't an illusion; even trainers without special abilities could unlock potential through synergy with their partners. For those with special abilities, the scope of their influence was usually limited to those they were actively commanding. This was one reason why the statues at the Valley of Termination only featured three Pokémon each.

Nowadays, master-level trainers typically relied on three main Pokémon in battle, with the other three serving in support roles, simply because the trainer’s special ability boost couldn't reach them. The more powerful the trainer, the greater the gap created by these special ability modifiers.

The second effect was akin to granting his Pokémon a weaker version of the "Regenerator" ability. In official matches, Pokémon with "Regenerator" would naturally recover a portion of their stamina when recalled to their Poké Ball, provided they hadn't fainted. Outside of matches, they recovered faster than others. Now, Amu possessed a trainer-based version of this, allowing all his Pokémon to benefit from a minor form of this recovery.

"Hmm, both abilities are quite practical," Casey remarked thoughtfully. "Though the Undying Flame is indeed much weaker than it once was."

"Weaker?" Amu asked, stunned.

"It is said that Uchiha Madara’s Pokémon once mastered every Fire-type move, while Senju Hashirama’s possessed endless stamina. By comparison, your Undying Flame has faded quite a bit. Besides," Casey added with a touch of uncertainty, "legend says that Madara and Hashirama themselves could channel the power of Mythical Pokémon."

For one thing, Amu was not Uchiha Madara, so it was natural for inherited power to degrade. For another, it had been eight hundred years; if it hadn't been infused with the power of Ho-Oh, it would have long since expired. Being merely weakened was already quite an achievement!

Amu was still thrilled. His hard work to find the Undying Flame had been worth it!

*Hiss.* Amu felt that Casey had given him a subtle look, as if questioning his definition of "hard work."

Overall, both effects would be excellent in "matches." The key was the word "match"! An extra move slot meant Nidoking could carry an extra "Flamethrower," allowing for five-attribute coverage, or Venusaur and Exeggutor could carry "Sunny Day" for greater tactical depth, while Gengar could carry "Will-O-Wisp" for more... devious tactics. And having a weakened "Regenerator" on all his Pokémon would be a massive advantage in war of attrition and defensive switching!

As for outside of matches? The benefit of an extra move slot was less obvious, and the second effect essentially required draining Amu’s own stamina. While the Undying Flame had boosted his energy, he wasn't the legendary Senju Hashirama, so he shouldn't drain himself dry; he had to use this ability where it counted.

Just as Amu thought the trial was over, Casey suddenly said, "You have passed the test. You will be given the fourth badge later..."

Amu hurried to thank her, knowing the examiner had essentially taken the test for him, but Casey spoke first: "Furthermore... there is another reward. I would like to entrust a Ralts to your care."

Amu blinked at Casey. Could it be that during their "connection," her affinity had maxed out, making her forget Nana so quickly? Would Nana be angry if he took her Ralts?

Casey seemed to sense his thoughts. She opened her half-closed eyes slightly and emphasized, "It is another... Ralts."