Yong recalled Steelix and Aron, who still wanted more, and walked down the passage without a change in expression, following the direction the Magnemite indicated. Behind him, the hard stone wall, gnawed down to little more than its foundations, seemed to tell everyone what had happened there.
The passage was dim, but fortunately, the Magnemite floating around him provided light and showed him the way.
Clearly, considerable thought had gone into the maze. The path turned left, then right, and occasionally presented him with three choices. Fortunately, the Magnemite were reliable. No matter how the magnetic field interfered with them, their positive poles always pointed in the same direction.
Yong leaned closer to inspect them curiously. All he could sense was that the electric currents around these Magnemite formed a force field different from the maze's. When he placed a finger against it, he actually felt a strong repelling force.
That intrigued him. Was it Electric Terrain? Or electromagnetic manipulation?
After following the path for a long time, Yong had gradually become so disoriented that he had no idea where he was. He could only follow the Magnemite's guidance passively, walking blindly, endlessly onward.
This was another feature of the maze. The constant exertion rapidly drained a person's physical and mental energy, while the dim surroundings gradually gave rise to all sorts of negative thoughts.
For those whose minds were immature or whose convictions were weak, the effects could be severe.
Wattson had designed this trial to test Trainers' resolve and draw out their resilience in adversity. The magnetic field here had been specially designed, and the passages divided by the hard stone walls had not been placed at random either. Their layout followed a precise, specialized pattern that interacted with the human body's own magnetic field, making Trainers tire more easily and stirring up their negative emotions.
It was a process of tempering the heart.
That was why the Mauville Gym was also known as the "Heart-Questioning Maze"!
The three doors were also called the "Gate of the Mind," the "Gate of Reason," and the "Gate of Lost Reason," corresponding to novice, beginner, and intermediate levels!
Of course, Wattson and the others watching behind the screen would not stand by and let these future members of the Pokémon League suffer such crushing blows that they sustained severe, irreversible psychological trauma.
At the most critical moment, they would offer guidance and end the test.
The goal was only to temper their hearts and help them understand their shortcomings, not to destroy them.
Of course, Yong was currently an exception...
After discussing it with the others, and especially after learning about Yong's personality and temperament from Chengjie, Wattson had decided to activate the "Endless Path"! He would give Yong's heart a thorough tempering and dispel those "bad ideas" inside him!
Yes! There was absolutely no "personal grudge" involved! None whatsoever!
The "Endless Path"!
It used the surroundings and the Trainers' eagerness to escape to suggest that they were heading toward the exit under the Magnemite's guidance. In reality, they were simply going nowhere within the maze.
Dark, enclosed surroundings created immense pressure. Here, the special environment reduced the effects of space and time to a minimum!
Correspondingly, the negativity within their hearts would grow stronger.
Yong kept walking. Even with the strong heart of someone who had lived two lives, his body was still that of a ten-year-old boy. As the constant exertion wore him down physically, his mind grew weary too. No matter how strong his heart was, impatience and anxiety would gradually creep in.
At that moment, he began questioning himself over and over.
Where was the exit? Had he really walked for so long, and so far? Should he keep going?
As time passed, those questions became something else.
This world was nothing like he had imagined. Why were even Gym battles so complicated? Couldn't he live an easy life even after being reborn?
Why had he been reborn? What had happened to his parents from his previous life?
Who had brought him into this world? Did they want something from him?
Chaotic thoughts tangled in his mind. The secrets he deliberately kept buried in everyday life could become the spark that ignited his negativity, making him begin to reject and doubt himself.
The fact that he had been reborn had actually prevented him from fully integrating into the Pokémon world.
He always thought that, with his previous life to draw upon, his knowledge of future events, and his experience of living twice, this life was bound to turn out reasonably well.
Yet since setting out on his journey, things had not gone smoothly. Instead, because he had been reborn before the story began, he had lost the advantage of knowing its events.
On top of that, his mature mind made him think more deeply about everything. All of this had become an unspoken pressure buried in Yong's heart.
On the one hand, he felt like an observer. On the other, he wanted to prove himself in this world.
And he could not tell anyone about any of it!
At this moment, all that accumulated pressure flooded Yong's heart, leaving him lost.
In front of the screen at the final battlefield, Chengjie watched the boy standing there in a daze and anxiously asked,
"Mr. Wattson, are you sure Yong will be all right?"
Beside him, Wattson showed none of his earlier irritation. Instead, he stroked his beard and said with a smile,
"He'll be fine, he'll be fine! He's fighting himself right now. Once he gets through it, he'll come out!"
If he couldn't get through it, no one could save him...
Wattson added that silently to himself.
It looked like this kid had a big secret...
"He'll be fine!"
Harada offered reassurance as well.
"This happens all the time. Plenty of novice Trainers go through it, then reflect on themselves. Once they figure things out, they grow! Besides, with Mr. Wattson watching, nothing will go wrong!"
Somewhat reassured, Chengjie kept his eyes on the screen.
"Come on, Yong! Overcome yourself!"
Meanwhile, Yong stood motionless in the passage, surrounded by Magnemite, asking himself the same question over and over.
Who am I?
Then images from his past and present lives appeared in his mind in alternating flashes. The figures of Chen Yong and Shiyan Yong kept crossing, separating, and mingling together.
Ding! Chaotic brain waves detected in the host. Activating protection protocol! Ding! Unidentified split detected in the host's personality! Analyzing! 10%...20%...50%... 100%! Ding! Unknown personality detected influencing the host. Initiating forced integration!
At this critical moment, the system finally appeared.
With the help of an unknown power, the two figures in his mind gradually overlapped. Yong's brow furrowed unconsciously, making it clear that the experience was far from pleasant.
Ding! Integration successful. Crisis resolved!
After a long while, Yong's body swayed. He slowly opened his eyes, and a smile returned to his face.
Seeing this, everyone in front of the screen relaxed.
"Not a bad kid!"
Wattson was still smiling.
"Looks like you were right. He does have a resilient heart!"
Chengjie chuckled.
"Of course!"
Everyone laughed. None of them knew what had just happened. They simply assumed that, like the others, the boy had dispelled his negativity and reaffirmed his convictions!
Only Yong himself understood. With the system's help, he had faced his own existence and understood his heart. From now on, he would climb to the pinnacle of the Pokémon world under the name Shiyan Yong!
Host: Shiyan Yong Talent: Rock Solid Ability: Unknown energy under development Pokémon: Steelix Lv29, Marshtomp Lv22, Aron Lv21 Badge count: 1 Training Points: 20
Pushing open the stone door before him, Yong strode resolutely inside!
Before his eyes, electricity flashed!