Hearing Xinhai's words, Gardevoir, who had just put away the catch, nodded. A faint blue glow rose in her red eyes.
Invisible psychic power surged from her body and spread evenly across several dozen meters, forming a visible gravity field.
Once Gardevoir had set up the field, Xinhai stepped into its range without hesitation.
A peculiar pressure descended upon every part of Xinhai's body, making even his breathing feel heavier.
After adjusting his breathing slightly, Xinhai began practicing the Dewford Twelve Forms within the gravity field.
The first form, the second form, the third form... His movements were slower than usual, but the force exerted by every muscle became clearer. Under gravity's pressure, his body had no choice but to focus more intently on sensing its center of gravity and points of exertion.
After training for around half an hour, Xinhai was slowly easing the strain on his body through Tai Chi when Gardevoir's Telepathy interrupted him.
'Xinhai, several children are heading this way.' Gardevoir's voice was steady and clear, without any tension, merely a reminder. 'They're about two hundred meters away, coming from the right side of the beach. They mean no harm.'
Xinhai slowly stopped moving, let out a breath, stretched his slightly sore body, and looked in the direction Gardevoir had indicated.
On the right side of the beach, several little heads were moving toward them along the shoreline.
The boy in front looked seven or eight years old. His skin was the healthy wheat color common among the island's residents, and he wore a faded pair of blue shorts and a slightly oversized striped T-shirt.
He ran at the very front, wearing sandals covered in sand. The sea breeze had tousled his short dark-brown hair into a mess, but his eyes were especially bright, filled with