After around an hour, Ash gave the guard the tea, but before going to challenge Sabrina, decided to go and prepare with a proper team by the warnings of the locals about the mental capacities and abilities of Sabrina and her Pokémon.
The three went to the Pokémon Center of Saffron City, where while Ash was using the storage machine to organiz his Pokémon and prepare with a strategy, Brock and Misty called Oak to give their condolences about Gary's death.
After a moment of both calling using the machine, Oak answered the call and got surprised of both.
Oak: "Oh, it's you two. How are you doing? And how is Ash doing?"
Brock: "Hello professor. We're doing fine, and Ash is right now preparing his Pokémon for battle Sabrina for his sixth badge."
Oak: "Oh, I see. Just in time to-"
Misty: "Sorry to interrupt professor, but we wanted to give you our condolences about your grandson, Gary. We're sorry about your loss."
Brock: "Yeah, he was the toughest trainer we faced. Not perfect, but made it clear in his own way. He was the best trainer, and we hope that helps you feel better in any way."
Oak: "Oh, well... Thank you... Is... a big loss, yes... But we'll focus... when we have time to it. For now, I spent some time preparing something before giving it to Ash."
Misty: "Wait, but professor. Wouldn't it better to... stop focusing in lab things, and give some time around your grandson? He was the Champion of Kanto, and he recently died today by that Pokémon you want to give to Ash."
Brock: "Misty is right. We're Gym Leaders, and is obvious a Pokémon like that can't be given to any trainer, much less to a kid who can't understand the real danger of a Pokémon like that. I believe a lot in Ash, and how capable is to befriending Pokémon, even in the worst situations. But this one? Defeated all Gary's Pokémon and killed him."
Misty: "It's just irresponsible of you. I can even see someone there professor."
Oak hesitated, turning around to see Red laying down on a makeshift bed.
Oak: "Oh, is just Red. But don't worry, Zeriel is almost ready to travel with Ash."
Misty: "No! Professor, can you listen?! That Pokémon is extremely dangerous to be given like that to Ash! If you do, Ash will die! Gary died because of that Pokémon! And many other Pokémon also suffered a lot or died!"
There was silence for a short moment.
Oak: "... I understand what you want to mean, but don't worry. Red is the best trainer, and has been training Zeriel. Accidents happen, that's true-"
Misty: "Accidents?! You call the death of your grandson an accident as it's nothing!?! Professor, I always thought you cared about Gary in a different way that was more... private, because maybe you weren't like the caring type of person. But you don't even care about Gary at all to even stop everything and respect Gary after his death?!?"
Brock remained with crossed arms, his expression of surprise and worry, eye siding to look at Misty. Oak hesitated, nervous and thinking. Misty hesitated, panting, clearly annoyed, concerned, and worry, as also sweated.
Oak: "You think I don't know my son??"
Misty: "Excuse me?!? Gary WAS your grandson, the closest to your son! And you didn't treat him like on, not even like your grandson at all! And you dare to place Ash as your son!?! What are you even thinking about?!"
Brock moved his right hand and placed it on Misty's left shoulder. Misty hesitated and side eyed looked at Brock.
Oak: "... I don't have time to lose talking to you two. You are just Gym Leaders, so stay at that. Ash has better things to do. I'll call later, and Ash will get Zeriel one way or another in few hours. Tell him to not battle Sabrina, and prepare him to be more creative and strategic."
Then, withouth any other word, hanged the call, leaving Misty with the mouth opened and cut from saying what was about to say. Misty hesitated for a few seconds, and then turned to Brock and placed herself against him, slightly knocking with her firsts at him, while he comforted her with his hands on her back.
Brock: "Misty, I think the best would be prepare Ash the best we can, and be prepared to bother that Pokémon when tries to attack anyone or Ash. Remember, we can give it a Ditto to use your appearance to give it what it wants. Or we can also let out Pokémon outside to cover us and make that Pokémon have to face our Pokémon before it tries anything, and if does, we'll just use the Pokeball to make it go inside and unable from trying."
Misty hesitated, looking at him with her eyes, as her head remained still. her expression of concern and wonder, considering the ideas.
After a moment, Ash finished preparing his team to challenge Sabrina, but before he walked out, Brock stopped Ash by holding his left shoulder. Ash hesitated and turned curious, but Brock remained with a serious expression while Misty was worried.
Misty: "We... talked with Professor Oak, and... he recommended us to prepare you for your new Pokémon. Are you... ready...?"
Ash: "Oh, so the professor will send me a new Pokémon to challenge Sabrina? What Pokémon?"
Brock: "... The one Misty captured, that small skeleton."
Ash: "Oh, so I'm finally going to be it's trainer? I can't wait!... I'm ready."
Both Brock and Misty hesitated, slowly turning to look at each other, with a clear concern and worry in their stare.
After quite a while, both were telling Ash how to strategize and analyze the opponent, in the attempt to make Ash more conscious of Pokémon who were more than Pokémon and needed strategy in battle. But then they got stopped and called as Oak sent a Pokéball to Ash. Ash got excited and ran to get the Pokeball, while both brock and Misty went worried.
After a short moment, Ash walked with the Master Ball in his hands, commenting how weird it looks like, as it doesn't like any Pokeball he ever saw. Both Brock and Misty hesitated, observing it with curiosity, seeing the details it had.
Brock: "Maybe... it wasn't the Pokémon we thought?...
Misty: "But then... what Pokémon is it?"
Ash then made Zeriel go out, and then Brock's and Misty's expression went as what they expected and worry. Zeriel hesitated, and then turned around, and then glanced at both Brock and Misty with a tired neutral expression.
Zeriel: "... Bruh... I guess you are my last challenge?"
Brock: "... Last challenge? What are you talking about?"
Zeriel: "Granny told me he was going to prepare something as last challenge or whatever. So i guess you are?"
Both Misty and Brock hesitated, looking at each other wondering and worried, but then Ash jumped in between.
Ash: "No, I was going to challenge Sabrina. I think what Professor Oak wants you is to fight Sabrina's Pokémon."
Zeriel: "A trainer? I guess I should have known..."
Ash: "Oh, it's not a trainer like me. Is a Gym Leader like Misty and Brock."
Zeriel: "... Elaborate."
Ash: "Eh? What do you mean?"
Brock: "I'll explain. Me and Misty are Gym Leaders, and our job is to check if trainers are qualified and prepared to progress in their journey."
Ash: "... And why you go with a trainer? Wouldn't that make you supervisors?"
Brock: "... Well, no. We just... took the decision to accompany Ash in his journey."
Misty: "Yeah, we had... our reasons..."
Misty hesitated in saying anything else, eye sided looking at Ash. Zeriel hesitated, wondering, but then quickly Brock pulled out his Pokémon, what took Zeriel, Ash and Misty by surprise.
Brock: "Even if Professor Oak trained you or whatever he did, we don't trust you by how dangerous you are."
Zeriel: "... I'm here for a purpose, so put me back inside my ball, and let's just go to what we have to do. If you are my last challenge, or that Sabrina, then just take to that and done."
Brock and Misty hesitated, but as they wondered confused, Ash made Zeriel go back inside the Master Ball. After a short moment of confusion, Brock decided to make his Pokémon go back to their Pokeballs, and they then started walking to the Gym.
After a while, they reached and entered the Gym. brock and Misty hesitated as they walked to observe the battle as they usually do since accompanying Ash.
Sabrina hesitated, and after a short moment of Ash showing her his five badges, she used her psychic powers to get her Pokeballs and get ready.
Both got in position, and Ash pulled out Zeriel. Sabrina hesitated, wondering what kind of Pokémon Ash was going to use, but then decided to go with Mr. Mime. Brock and Misty hesitated nervously and worried, Brock remaiend serious and firm with crossed arms, while Misty was more clear visually of her deep worry.
Ash: "Alright, buddy. Let's do this and show Brock and Misty they have nothing to worry about. Use... uhh..."
Sabrina: "... Are you sure you're ready to challenge me, Ash Ketchum? We can do this when you're ready."
Ash: "Oh, we are. I'm just... concentrating. Yeah! Focussing on what would be the best move!"
sabrina hesitated, not buying it, while Zeriel remained serious and tired of looking at Mr. Mime, so Zeriel turned to look at Ash.
Zeriel: "Look, I'll do it on my own. Stay back, aight? I don't want to lose my time with a simple mime."
Sabrina hesitated, quite surprised but not at all of Zeriel capable of talking, as for her, she had Psychic powers like Psychic Pokémon, so seeing a Pokémon capable of talking wasn't a big surprise for her, just enough to surprise her for seeing one.
But then, in surprise of everyone, Zeriel made a Soul Blaster appear while aimed his right hand at Mr. Mime, and it quickly shot a beam that pushed Mr. Mime to crash against the wall behind Sabrina. Sabrina got caught off guard, while Mr. Mime was instantly fainted.
Sabrina (Thought): "Huh... This is getting more interesting... What else can this Pokémon do?"
Sabrina then made Mr. Mime go back into the Pokeball, and sent her Kadabra.
Sabrina: "Use Light Screen."
Kadabra then used Light Screen. Zeriel hesitated and observed what Kadabra did, and after a short moment, lifted his hand forward, making a river of bones rise slightly from the ground towards Kadabra. As Sabrina hesitated, Kadabra quickly got impacted by the bones and pushed to crash against the wall behind Sabrina and in high altitude of it.
Sabrina (Thought): "Wait, bones?!... No way... This bones... This is the Pokémon who killed Gary Oak... What is this... kid doing with... This doesn't make any sense... I better take this as should."
Sabrina: "Wait!"
Everyone then got surprised and wondering why Sabrina wanted to pause the battle. Brock and Misty were confused and worried with wonder, while Ash was concerned if something was wrong, and Zeriel hesitated and sighed while rolling his pupils.
Sabrina then using her psychic powers, made Kadabra go back to the Pokeball, and her Pokeballs fly away while others floated to her, and then she prepared herself correctly with a more firm pose while her eyes remaining glowing white with no pupils.
Sabrina: "As a Gym Leader, I must stop you. This is no longer a Gym Battle, this is for Ash and his friends' safety, along everyone else's safety and protection. Show me you are indeed qualified and prepared, and not the threat I relate you with."
Zeriel: "... Heh... Bring it on... Unless you have a mental breakdown of how capable I am. So go full on me, because I'll go for the kill."
Sabrina: "... I wanted to not be correct, but in that case... I won't hold back with you. But before the real battle, do you have a name?"
Zeriel: "I'm Zeriel Drelith."
Sabrina: "Quite curious name, but perhaps of how interesting, very well then, Zeriel. Let's begin."
Zeriel then got prepared and excited as started smiling with a sadistic smile, while Sabrina used her psychic powers to alter the environment, and so, everything around them started floating and Ash got floated to sit along Brock and Misty.
Then, the battle arena started changing for both Sabrina and Zeriel, as she used her Psychic powers to make both be focused on the battle as there was nothing else, so the background was glowing white and static grey with object floating everywhere.
Sabrina then made Alakazam go out; while Zeriel's pupils changed, his left pupil purple with a red outline, and his right pupil red; and then blue faint trails started appearing, invisible for now, but moving from behind Zeriel.
The battle then started, as Alakazam used Reflect, so Zeriel moved teleporting and appearing in front of Alakazam to then try and slash Alakazam, but getting parried instantly, so Zeriel teleported away and quickly moved his right hand, making Alakazam trapped by blue bones that raised from the ground under Alakazam.
Alakazam then quickly used Thunder Wave, impacting at Zeriel, who was aiming his left hand at Alakazam, but then stopped after being hit by Thunder Wave. Zeriel got paralyzed, and when tried to move he couldn't, what made the blue bones to go down under the ground, and Alakazam quickly moved away to then use Psychic on Zeriel.
Psychic impacted, dealing ton of damage to Zeriel, who then recovered from being paralyzed, and aimed his left hand to Alakazam and both his left hand and Alakazam got a blue aura, and then he started crashing Alakazam around, dealing low damage but making Alakazam Confused.
Zeriel threw Alakazam down to crash against the ground, panted a little for a second, and then finished the battle making bones pierce through Alakazam, fainting it.
Zeriel hesitated, still wondering how every time he kills a Pokémon, it doesn't actually die but faints, and is not until he finishes them off, is when then they die. Meanwhile, Sabrina changed Pokémon, now pulling Mr. Mime.
Zeriel: "Huh? Again?"
Sabrina: "This are my real Pokémon, the Mr. Mime in the start was just a weaker one. I have quite many Pokémon, as any other Gym Leader. Did you really think it was going to be that easy?"
Zeriel: "... Heh, good to know."
Mr. Mime then used substitute, and hidden behind it. Zeriel hesitated, wondering, and after a second, he made a Soul Blaster appear behind Mr. Mime and blast it and crash against the roof, and fainting instantly.
Zeriel: "... What was that? A dinosaur plushy?"
Sabrina: "Is called Substitute, a move that makes Pokémon capable of not taking attacks because are taken by the doll."
Zeriel: "Huh... Who would have guessed that dolls were actually lifesavers? I guess aren't for little girls after all."
Sabrina hesitated for a second, but then pulled out Kadabra. But then, it instantly gets blasted by the jagged water cannons of the Phantom Blastoise. Sabrina hesitated, in shock of what was seeing, as then, more and more Phantoms started to fade in behind and around Zeriel.
Sabrina: "What... are those...?"
Zeriel: "Oh, them? Phantoms. hallucinations created via determination, and a lot of insanity. So yes... I don't know what you related me with, but I'm that god damn murderer, in case of anything."
Sabrina: "You... What have you done to him?... How... And why?"
Zeriel: "... I... actually don't remember, to be honest. But it doesn't matter. I defeated the Champion, which means... I'm the Champion now."
Sabrina: "No, a Pokémon can't be the Champion."
Zeriel: "Wanna bet? I'm taking you down quite easily so far. Do you think you can keep up?~"
Sabrina hesitated, but then used in the silent calm moment her psychic powers to try getting in his head, but all was extremely overwhelming of noises she couldn't understand.
Sabrina: "Why are you with Ash Ketchum? Is just a kid."
Zeriel: "I don't care about that kid. I have other businesses to attend. And tho is my trainer, is just temporary. And you? How you did this? And your eyes?"
Sabrina: "... My psychic powers. Why?"
Zeriel: "Is the first time I see a human capable of all of this. I admit it, I like you."
Sabrina hesitated, her expression into surprise and open eyes.
Zeriel: "No, not that way. Don't get heated, girl. I'm not interested in you, you're flat, so the like thing doesn't got in heat. I just like you in terms of capacities."
Sabrina: "Did you really think I took that phrase in such way?"
Zeriel: "Well, I mean... I'm used that... forget it. My romanticism, and relation to girls, doesn't matter. I'm intrigued about your abilities, because you used telekinesis, and... whatever it was to make the place into this."
Sabrina: "... What do you want exactly?"
Zeriel: "Chill. I like going straight to the point, but you're going way too deep already. I like going deep, but I prefer slowly, you know?~"
She didn't react, and so he became more hesitant and nervous.
Zeriel: "... Alright, alright. I want to know what else you can do. And maybe practice with you, alright? You're worthy to keep alive, the only human I'm interested in such way."
Sabrina: "... And what if I don't want to practice with you?"
Zeriel: "Well..."
Then, all blinked for an instant to be all black, and then blinked again, but Sabrina had two red bright Karambits at the front of her neck.
Zeriel: "Would be a real shame if I had to kill you."
Sabrina: "... If I accept... will you not kill again?"
Zeriel: "Can't promise that, girl. Is my entire whole thing, you know? The only thing I know after all, kill or be killed. I just do what must be done, and what I have to do. Nothing personal, mostly because I don't think, so... Things just happen."
Sabrina: "Was Gary Oak something that happened to you?"
Zeriel shrugged his shoulders and hands.
Zeriel: "I don't remember waht happened, just things going on and me killing him. If that really happened, it was because had to happen. But hey, I can try being a little nicer, and going for the fastest kill when I kill someone~"
Sabrina hesitated, obviously not going to accept, but she was uncapable of using her psychic powers to make the karambits float away, so she sighed and decided to give up, closing her eyes and making all go back to normal for both, as Zeriel started noticing the background and floating thing started to vanish and they were just in the Gym.
The Phantoms weren't the anymore, but the two Karambits remained against Sabrina's neck, and when she opened her eyes, they were normal again.
Sabrina: "Done. Now be nicer, and I'll accept to train you personally."
Zeriel: "You tempt me, you tempt me~... Deal, ma girl~"
Then, the karambits vanished, and Sabrina felt relieved, but also bothered.
Sabrina: "Don't say that again."
Zeriel: "Awww, what's the matter?~ You don't like the feeling of being owned?~ That's what I feel, girl. Get used to it as long as I'm near."
Sabrina hesitated, as the sudden tone of Zeriel made it clear, making her think of Pokémon and the Pokeballs in a different perspective.
Meanwhile, Ash hesitated not understanding the situation and just thinking if the battle was over or not, Misty and Brock hesitated with worry and wonder as the behaviour of Zeriel was questionable and dangerous for their perspective.
Ash: "Is the battle over? It didn't really start, no? Or what happened?"
Brock: "Sabrina did something to make the battle exclusive for both of them. That's what happened and why it's over, despite we didn't see any battle."
Misty: "But... What... were they talking about? Why would Sabrina say that?"
Brock: "Whatever the reason is... She knows very well why and for what. And something tells me... that we should be grateful for her accepting..."
After a moment, Sabrina gave Ash the badge, explaining to him he deserves it as he has proven a force bigger than any other trainer ever did by being aside Zeriel. Ash didn't understand why, but accepted the badge reluctantly, not really feeling it deserved, but kinda as Zeriel was his Pokémon, but Brock was what finished making Ash accept the badge by convincing him to do so.
Then, Sabrina went deeper into the gym to prepare for training Zeriel, and would call him mentally as had entered his mind and was now capable of communicating with him telepathically, or using any of her Pokémon to do so.
The four walked outside, Ash and Zeriel observing the badge, while Brock and Misty constantly observing Zeriel as was out of the Master Ball. But then, Misty suddenly received a call of her sisters.
Misty answered the call, and talked with Daisy, who told her they needed some help with something. Misty hesitated, asking to know with what, but Daisy refused to specify and preferred if she went back to the Gym of Cerulean.
Misty sighed, hesitated, and then took a deep breath, to then accept that she would go the next day, after setting up some very important things. Daisy accepted, then hanged the call.