The next morning, at the Saffron City Super Gym.
As sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room, Maen's eyelids fluttered slightly before he slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes, stretched his body, and took a moment to process his unfamiliar surroundings.
For a brief second, he was confused, but then he remembered—he was still at the Saffron Gym. The last thing he recalled before falling asleep was hearing the voice of Sabrina's father.
Not long after Maen woke up, Launce, who had been sleeping soundly on the floor, noticed the movement. The little dragon-type Pokémon stretched lazily before waddling over to Maen, affectionately licking the back of his hand with its warm tongue.
Although Launce hadn't participated in yesterday's battle, he had taken the opportunity to absorb the dark energy left lingering in the air. However, Maen had already instructed him to focus on laying a solid foundation before rushing to increase his strength. So, despite having the potential to absorb more, Launce had stopped when he felt he'd reached his natural limit.
Even so, his power had increased significantly—he had almost reached gym-level strength. With proper training, it wouldn't be long before he could evolve.
This was the true advantage of Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon. They had immense potential and naturally high limits, making them highly sought-after. However, the downside was their massive resource consumption. The same amount of food, vitamins, and training materials that would fully nourish an average Pokémon was barely a snack for a Pseudo-Legendary.
Still, once given proper energy and time, they could evolve into their final forms without obstacles.
But Launce wasn't the only one who had gained strength from the battle. The biggest winner of all was undoubtedly Maen's Gengar—the mischievous ghost who had evolved in the middle of the fight.
At that moment, Gengar was floating behind Maen, a wide grin stretched across his face. His glowing red eyes narrowed into thin slits, and he looked as if he were planning to jump scare Maen from behind.
However, Maen knew exactly what his Pokémon was thinking. Just as Gengar lunged, Maen swiftly turned around and delivered a playful flick to Gengar's forehead.
The ghost Pokémon was stunned for a moment, his smug grin replaced by a dumbfounded expression.
Seeing this, Maen burst into laughter, and Launce, watching from the side, also let out an amused cry.
Gengar, realizing that he had been outplayed, pouted and immediately went after Launce, using his shadowy hands to tickle him mercilessly.
With only four legs and no hands to defend himself, Launce quickly collapsed, rolling on the floor while letting out helpless squeaks. He tried to escape, but there was no escaping Gengar's tickle attack.
Maen chuckled as he stepped in to stop them before things escalated. He was truly happy to see his Pokémon getting along so well.
Reaching out, he ruffled Gengar's head, feeling its cool, jelly-like texture. Unlike when he was still a Haunter, Gengar's body had a slightly firmer, squishy feel—like a bouncy pillow.
Indeed, the cutest chubby ghost in existence!
Just then, the door creaked open.
Maen turned his head to see Sabrina's father stepping into the room, followed closely by a gentle-looking red-haired woman.
As soon as Maen saw her, he instantly recognized her—this was Sabrina's mother, the woman who had been turned into a doll by Sabrina's Psychic powers.
Now that Sabrina had lost consciousness and her Psychic abilities had settled, her mother had returned to normal.
"Slept well?" Sabrina's father asked with a warm smile.
Maen nodded. "Yes, Uncle. Thank you. I slept great."
"Haha, that's good to hear." Sabrina's father chuckled. "Actually, you don't need to thank me. It's us who should be thanking you."
He then gestured toward the red-haired woman. "This is Sabrina's mother."
After a brief introduction, Maen asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.
"How is Sabrina?"
"She's fine," Sabrina's father reassured him. "But she's still in a coma. This time, the loss of control over her Psychic power drained her mentally more than ever before. She needs a few days of rest before she'll wake up."
"What happens after she wakes up?" Maen asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
Sabrina's father smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, Maen. We won't be asking for your help again. You've already done more than enough. My wife and I will take on the responsibility as her parents again."
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a book and a folded piece of paper, handing them to Maen.
Maen accepted them with curiosity. The book was titled "Psychic Cultivation Techniques", and the paper appeared to be a treasure map.
"What's this?" he asked.
Sabrina's father explained, "This book contains the Psychic training methods passed down in our family for generations. You may not be a Psychic, but you possess special abilities. Some of the techniques inside might help you strengthen them."
"As for the map," he continued, "I found it by chance years ago. I don't know exactly what is hidden there, but it leads to an ancient ruin on an uninhabited island."
He paused before sighing lightly. "I know this isn't much compared to what you've done for us, but it's the best thing I can offer."
He looked at Maen seriously. "As for resources and money, I know you can get those on your own. So instead, I'm offering you something even more valuable—a favor."
"A favor?" Maen raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Sabrina's father nodded. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, no matter what it is—just call me. I'll help you."
His tone became firm. "No matter what."
Maen understood immediately. That last part emphasized that, even if the situation was something morally questionable or something that had to be handled discreetly, Sabrina's father was willing to lend his support.
A Gym Leader and a powerful Psychic owing him a favor?
That was something far more valuable than any material reward.
Maen smiled and nodded. "I appreciate it."
After finishing his recuperation, Maen bid farewell to Sabrina's parents and finally left the Super Gym.
As he walked away, Sabrina's father gazed after him and muttered,
"Are you really not going to thank him yourself?"
At that moment, the air behind him shimmered, and a familiar Psychic fluctuation filled the room.
Sabrina appeared.
---------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007