Morning light crept across Ashwin's farm, the golden hue illuminating the now-bustling haven he had cultivated with care, sweat, and quiet resilience. Below the surface, hidden from the world, something profound stirred—the final touches of the Psychic Sanctuary were falling into place.
Descending into the Grotto, Ashwin moved with calm anticipation. The air was charged, and the low hum of psychic energy reverberated through the crystalline chamber walls. The rescued Elgyem and the colony's senior psychic Pokémon—several Meditite, Baltoy, and a few Ralts—stood in a semi-circle around the central sigil, glowing with soft cerulean light.
The [Psychic Sanctuary Integration] process had reached its final stage.
[System Notification: Psychic Sanctuary has met required conditions.]
[Current Psychic-Type Population: 18 — Minimum Requirement: 15]
[Sub-Space Expansion: Initialized]
[Integration Progress: 97% → 100% COMPLETE]
[Congratulations! The Psychic Sanctuary has been fully unlocked.]
Ashwin's breath caught slightly. The system's gentle chime always signaled something important, but this time it felt especially monumental.
[New Facility Unlocked: Psychic Healing Spire — Enhances recovery rate of Psychic-type Pokémon by 25%.]
[New Feature Unlocked: Mental Resonance Pool — Grants temporary psychic-link training bonus for pairs or bonded Pokémon.]
[New Employment Option: Assign Psychic-type Pokémon to Grotto Monitoring & Surveillance Unit.]
[Passive Perk Activated: Astral Insight — All mental recovery and resistance-related research gains a +10% bonus.]
Elgyem floated forward, its eyes flashing. A telepathic murmur flowed directly into Ashwin's consciousness. "Thank you, Guardian. This place feels… like home."
Ashwin smiled. "You and your kin deserve it."
He spent the day organizing the sanctuary, assigning zones and meditative posts for the colony. Several of the younger Ralts began playfully tugging on his coat, already sensing the calm his presence brought.
Back at the surface, preparations were underway. With the spore-afflicted Pokémon treated and the sanctuary complete, Ashwin began readying for the return journey from the ruin site. Saddlebags packed with rare herbs, medicinal moss, psychic amplifiers, and fragments of the ruined shrine lined the pack carriers.
In the valley near the exit of the ancient psychic domain, Ashwin discovered a glittering cluster of minerals buried beneath the scorched earth. Careful excavation revealed what he had suspected:
[System Notification: Evolution Stone Vein Detected]
[Type: Psychic | Mixed Infusion Detected – Possible Split Nodes (Fire, Water, Grass)]
[Estimated Yield: Medium-Rare Tier]
[Mining Tools Required: Tier 2 or Higher]
"Looks like this place still has more to offer," Ashwin muttered, mentally marking the coordinates for later.
He gently lifted the satchel of psychic spores, now neutralized, and tucked it into a protective containment pouch. Around him, the psychic Pokémon hovered protectively, now openly looking at him with trust, reverence, and hope.
As he turned toward the path home, Ashwin felt the comforting buzz of Vespiquen checking in through the Grotto's link, and a soft mental ping from Elgyem, who had voluntarily taken up the role of the sanctuary's mental overseer.
The journey back would be long—but now, Ashwin wasn't returning alone.
He was returning as the Guardian of a Sanctuary.
After securing the final rituals for the Psychic Sanctuary, Ashwin lingered in the Grotto, still marveling at the quiet hum of energy flowing through the crystalline walls. The ambient glow illuminated patches of soil and small planters scattered around the edges of the sanctuary—remnants from his earlier attempts at experimenting with farming within the grotto.
He crouched beside one of the planter beds, where a few small berries lay dormant in the rich, dark soil.
[System Notification: New Feature Detected — Sub-Space Agricultural Module]
[Description: The Sub-Space can now support cultivation of berries and certain edible plants.]
[Benefit: Berry plants grown in Sub-Space produce yield 50% faster and are unaffected by external weather.]
[Effect: Enables self-sufficient food production for Pokémon housed within the Grotto.]
[Resource Unlock: Automatic Irrigation System and Fertilizer Distribution available for future upgrades.]
Ashwin's eyes widened. This was a game changer.
Ashwin carefully planted four different types of berries in the fertile soil of the sub-space: Oran, Sitrus, Pecha, and Lum Berry. The soil shimmered faintly, energized by the sanctuary's psychic aura.
"Looks like your new home can feed you too," he whispered to the cluster of Ralts watching curiously.
Within moments, a faint golden glow surrounded the plants as if the very essence of the sanctuary encouraged their growth.
[System Update: Berry Plants Growth Rate Increased][Estimated Time to First Harvest: 3 days (real-time) — accelerated by psychic energy][Food Self-Sufficiency Progress: 10%]
Ashwin smiled with relief. The challenge of feeding an expanding community of rescued Pokémon had been weighing on him, and this discovery promised a sustainable future.
"Once these start bearing fruit, the Pokémon here won't have to rely on outside supplies," he said, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment.
He turned to the system and issued a command to catalogue all possible edible plants that could thrive in the sub-space, hoping to expand the farm's diversity and resilience.
[System Notification: Sub-Space Botanical Catalogue Initialized]
[Next Goal: Research and Unlock Additional Edible Berry Types and Medicinal Plants]
[Possible Quest Unlock: Botanical Expansion and Preservation]
As the psychic Pokémon around him began to relax, nuzzle each other, and even nibble on the young berries, Ashwin felt a surge of hope. The Grotto was no longer just a shelter—it was becoming a thriving sanctuary, a home.