PSI Stone

An anomalous piece of rose quartz (called the PSI Stone by Ian) is a usually-inert object with the potential for great power that becomes active the days leading up to the 1st of April. Although its inertness outside the few weeks it is active makes it challenging to use effectively, it has attracted enough attention from various villainous individuals and organizations that it has often led to a number of incidents during the date when its powers are at their peak. After each incident, it has repeatedly been kept in the custody of a J-Teamer (usually Ian) or kept in various PEFE vaults around the world.

Description

The PSI Stone appears to the untrained eye as a random pink mineral, and minerologists would be quick to describe its outer layers as made of pink quartz. Embedded within is some sort of spiral shape, which makes it resemble a similar artifact of power, the Spiral Stone, but significantly smaller. It can be held in a human hand and is fairly frequently kept in similarly small containers. Outside a small window between March and April, nothing about its properties makes it any different from quartz.

Power set

Unlike the Spiral Stone, the PSI Stone's powers are seldom active. It follows a predictable pattern of behavior, where it remains inert for much of the year, then slowly but surely starts building up anomalous energies over the weeks leading into April. By April 1st, the powers of the stone are often capable of warping reality around it. Its actual effects are varied, but it is known to have a hypnotic effect on organic beings. Beings that attempt to wield it often become drunk with power.

• In 2019, it only left a single person in a trance.
• In 2020, it was used to brainwash another person into subservience and to power a machine.
• In 2021, its powers, when channeled, can brainwash and enthrall several people when channeled through a device, though it's also capable of deluding anyone struck by its power.
• In 2024, its raw power is said to be enough to use as a power source for a time travel device. It could also be used to amplify a natural auric's powers, though at the cost of their sanity.
• In 2025, its container not being closed enough caused a group of Aura spectrum people to briefly switch powers.

History

The PSI Stone was first discovered in Kanto's Route 4 by Ian Salberg, who was entranced by its appearance. He carried it away with him and later sent it to PEFE for analysis. Ian theorized that the stone may have been a benevolent artifact powered by love. However, as the stone eventually lost power in the wake of April 1st, testing in PEFE was inconclusive.

It was put in storage in the PEFE facility in Alto Mare, upon which an alternate version of Dr. Braun attempted to steal it. He used the PSI Stone in a locket, which he then used to take control of Upton. The combined energies of the stone and the chimeric young man were used to create the FutureZapdos, which terrorized Wyndon throughout the 1st of April 2020. After the FutureZapdos' defeat, the PSI Stone was tossed away by an unaware Arachna-Guy. The stone fortuitously landed once again near Ian, who picked it up for safekeeping.

In 2021, the stone was stolen by the Hunter's Guild's psychic sorcerer Salem, who then created a lantern for it out of stolen minerals to channel its power. The Guild planned to use its power to rob the Galarian Museum, but the lantern fell into the hands of a Runerigus it accidentally shot with a beam. The Runerigus, once part of the ghost lord's retinue, became mad with power and sought to use the stone to conquer Galar in revenge for stealing artifacts belonging to his former master. Ian and his friends once again manage to defeat agents powered by the Stone.

In 2024, Ian had successfully created a means of containing the stone's anomalous power during the scant weeks it is active. He reforged the lantern into a lead-lined canister wand called the Pollon, which he intended to send to a secure PEFE facility to keep its power from falling into the wrong hands. Due to shipping delays caused by shipping the Pollon and the stone separately, however, it ended up uncontained while it was active. Several villains attempted to collect it at the Mesagoza Central Post Office, including the Freshman Neon sent by the School.

A year later, the School once again sent Neon to steal the stone, likely to be used to further the organization's plans against the J-Team. Due to the Pollon not being properly sealed, not only where Neon and their partner Actinium able to find it but it also affected their battle with the truants Lead and Polonium, who ran away with it to keep it from falling into their hands. The Pollon was properly sealed and the PSI Stone was once again safely under PEFE custody.

Trivia

• The exact nature of the stone's anomalous powers is poorly understood, but it appears to escalate significantly with each passing year.
• Ian laments that dealing with the PSI Stone and its shenanigans appears to be some sort of annual annoyance.
• Although it started off as a plot device similar to the Spiral Stone encountered by Halis (to which it shares a similar appearance), later developments present it as altogether different artifact with its own power set.
• The fact that its powers, no matter how great, are safely contained using lead is a reference to a similar process used to contain Kryptonite in Superman media.
• Out-of-universe, the PSI Stone being active only during April Fool's Day and the weeks leading into it is a compromise made to allow players AnimeBoyIanPower and JG-says-things-and-stuff to continue using it as a plot device, but not have it affect the RP much.