After careful consideration, Su Feng exchanged his points for three Technical Machines (TMs): Protect, Close Combat, and Flare Blitz. Though Combusken would eventually learn Flare Blitz naturally, Su Feng wanted it mastered early—its raw power and low recoil made it ideal. Close Combat, a high-risk, high-reward Fighting-type move, was similarly prioritized. As for Protect? "If Combusken had this against Garchomp, that dragon would've been toast," he mused.
Staring at the colorful discs, Su Feng frowned. "System, how do these even work?"
[Make the Pokémon eat them.]
"Seriously? They're not snacks!"
[Then check the TM Machine in the Tech tab.]
Su Feng gritted his teeth and opened the Tech page. His eye twitched at the price. "100,000 points?! Is this machine made of gold?!"
[Supply and demand, buddy. Take it or leave it.]
"Fine. One TM Machine."
[Deal.]
A flash of light later, a bulky, TV-like device materialized in the living room. Combusken and Haunter barely glanced up—Su Feng's "magic" was old news.
Su Feng slotted the Close Combat TM into the machine. A tutorial video played, complete with pixelated demonstrations. "This is just a DVD player!" he groaned.
[Unlimited uses. Reverse-engineer the tech later.] the system replied. [Also, only Pokémon can comprehend these. Humans? Not so much.]
True to its word, Combusken's eyes locked onto the screen. After one viewing, the Fire-type dashed outside, mimicking the moves with clumsy but fierce determination.
"Natural talent," Su Feng smirked. Next, he called Haunter over for the Protect TM. The ghost watched intently, then conjured a shimmering barrier.
"Test it!" Su Feng threw a punch—only to phase straight through Haunter and faceplant.
"Gho~" Oops. Forgot I'm intangible.
[PSA: Ghost-types can't block physical attacks. Read the fine print.]
"...Noted."
Before Su Feng could grumble further, the system chimed in.
[Oh, right. Arceus says 'good job.' Here's a gift.]
A violet light surged through him. Su Feng stared at a teacup across the room, veins bulging as he willed it to move. With a pathetic clink, it shifted… one centimeter.
"This 'psychic power' is useless!"
[Rome wasn't built in a day. Give it… a few millennia. Hahaha!]
Ignoring the system's laughter, Su Feng explored his feeble new ability. Better than nothing. He browsed the shop for training aids—most were Pokémon-only. Then, a curious item caught his eye:
Odd Incense
Amplifies psychic energy. May attract… peculiar attention.
"Huh. Worth a shot."