Chapter 81. Kid, Your Imagination Is Too Weak
"Ahem ahem, since you're scum from Team Rocket, what did you come to Saffron Gym for?!"
Sage Hart instantly realized the gravity of the situation, and immediately cooperated with Natsume, playing along with the ruse.
By several shattered windows, a few cameras occasionally peeked out.
Across the way, Sabrina tilted her head, and the doll in her arms drooped its head as well.
With Natsume's current level of psychic power, he could only transmit simple words to Hartmont Sage.
The moment the two-word message "reporters" left Natsume, Sabrina pierced and intercepted it.
She looked coldly outside, a blue ghostly light flashing in her eyes.
"Gengar!"
Gengar's hulking body moved to block in front of Sabrina.
Its red eyes flared, nullifying all the telekinesis Sabrina had released.
Natsume frowned slightly.
Those reporters had come prepared.
Another group was hidden down the street, and the cameras were trained on the reporters concealed atop the Gym.
If Sabrina struck, she would be playing right into their hands.
"Heh-heh, old man, our boss Giovanni's taken a liking to you, and today we're grabbing you and taking you home!"
Natsume pointed at Hartmont Sage, wearing a cackling grin.
Hartmont Sage: "???"
Don't improvise a new script on the spot!
Sage Hart frantically sent a telepathic message to Natsume.
"What, Miss Sabrina—are you going to protect your father?"
Without waiting for a reply, Natsume hurled a Poké Ball.
"Wuu—"
A Dragonite with a brutal, ferocious face suddenly burst onto the Gym floor.
Combined with a body far larger than its kind and one large and one small wing huffing, the pressure it exuded was overwhelming.
Natsume could feel it—at the very instant he threw the ball, several flashes popped behind him.
"Hm?"
Sabrina tilted her head, and the doll in her arms drooped even more sharply.
To her, the telepathic chatter between Natsume and Sage Hart under the gaze of a high-tier Psychic was no different from speaking aloud.
A rehearsal.
Role-play.
Playing house.
"You…"
Sabrina suddenly spoke, and Sage Hart snapped his head around, staring at her in shock.
"You…"
The doll lifted its head, as if wanting to take over for Sabrina.
But very quickly, the doll's head drooped again.
"Are you… inviting me?"
Sabrina asked, her face still expressionless.
"Go, Dragonite, grab that old man!"
Natsume swept his arm down with a grand flourish.
"Go, Alakazam."
This time, the Poké Ball did not appear in the doll's hand.
Sabrina herself threw it.
"Roooaaar—"
Dragonite was elated.
Its scales bristled all over, its eyes flushed blood-red, and its vital aura surged madly.
"Outrage?"
Natsume blinked.
He hadn't even given the order yet.
"Alakazam, Confusion!"
"Dragonite, ram it!"
Natsume used mental speech to give a simple command to Dragonite.
"Wuu wuu wuu!"
Dragonite grew even more excited.
The dopey Trainer only learned to "talk" a few days ago, and now he could command it in battle!
Thud—thud—thud!
With its massive body charging in, the entire floor trembled.
A ghostly blue sheen wrapped Dragonite's body.
It jerked to a halt, hovering in midair.
Seeing this, Natsume let out a small breath.
The best outcome now was to pretend he really was Team Rocket.
Then Sabrina would blast him out of here, and he'd deal with the reporters outside later.
"Wuuuu!!!"
Dragonite got a little angry.
As expected, a Trainer who learned to speak late isn't very smart!
"Wuuuuu—"
Dragonite strained once, wrenching itself free of Alakazam's Confusion.
Its body suddenly crackled with electricity.
"Thunderbolt?"
Natsume froze.
The sparks abruptly vanished, replaced by flames licking along Dragonite's body.
"Hm?"
Natsume froze again.
The flames dissipated, and an icy blue glow flickered in its mouth.
The three colors kept cycling.
Dragonite couldn't control its own power at all, unable to choose which move to use.
In the end, a tricolored beam—gold, red, and blue—like an ambient light orb, spewed out at random, blasting chaotically around the arena.
Sabrina tilted her head, watching the scene before her as her eyes lit with a cold, blue light.
In the next instant, the out-of-control Dragonite was frozen in midair, then hurled toward the skylight.
"You lost.
You're going to be locked up."
Sabrina stared at Natsume, face blank.
At the same time, above Natsume's head, a cage with a plaque appeared.
The cage dropped down, growing larger and larger, until it turned into a roof.
Boom!
Natsume was locked inside a room.
"Huh?"
Natsume blinked.
This didn't feel like ordinary psychic power.
It seemed he had entered Sabrina's main world.
The world in Sabrina's eyes.
Natsume took in the room.
Not far away, a little girl was squatting on the floor with needle and thread, as if sewing up a doll.
Walking closer, Natsume realized he'd misseen it.
It was actually the doll from Sabrina's arms, squatting on the floor with needle and thread, stitching on a mini figure-like Sabrina.
"Hee-hee-hee—"
The doll looked up and flashed Natsume a chilling grin.
"No wonder Sabrina has no emotions.
In her main world, she's just a figure."
Natsume reached out to grab the Sabrina figure in the doll's hands.
"Aaaah—"
A shrill cry rang out.
Natsume covered his ears, peering oddly at the doll.
"I'd like to ask—are you the one in control of this main world?"
Natsume looked seriously at the doll.
The doll cocked its head, feeling Natsume was looking down on it.
It decided there was a need to enlighten him, to make him see reality.
So the doll nodded.
Thump!
In the next second, Natsume's fist bonked down on its head, making its eyes well with tears.
"Then why the hell should I be scared?
You don't have Sabrina's grade of psychic power."
"Hand it over.
Let me play with it."
Like a bully, Natsume snatched the little Sabrina figure.
"Aaaah—"
Ignoring its squashed head, the doll's eyes flashed blue, and a handgun appeared in its grip.
Click!
The round was chambered, and the barrel rose toward Natsume.
Natsume understood.
The doll had telekinetic ability as well.
Much weaker than Sabrina's, but thanks to the nature of the main world, it could manifest things with telekinesis.
"Hee-hee—"
The doll's smile turned eerie.
The muzzle lifted to aim at Natsume's head.
"Give Sabrina back to me!"
The doll shrieked.
Natsume ignored it, simply testing whether he could manifest anything with his own psychic power in the main world.
With only a small attempt, a ghostly blue radiance rippled over Natsume's body.
Rumble!
A gigantic blue skeleton erupted from the ground, enclosing Natsume.
The next second, flesh covered bone, armor grew savage, the whole roof blew off, and a towering warrior avatar enclosed Natsume, looming over the doll.
Shing!
A blade flashed, and a massive great katana hovered over the doll's head.
Clatter!
The doll froze, stunned.
The tiny handgun in its hand tumbled down and dispersed into blue particles.
Kid, your imagination is too weak.
Natsume shook his head and let his "Susanoo" dissolve.
This thing wasn't useful.
It was just to scare people.
Natsume studied the little Sabrina figure.
Beside him, the doll kept slapping its own head, and only after a long while did the squashed head puff back up.
It looked back.
It realized Sabrina's clothes had been stripped.
"Aaaah—"
The doll screamed, face flushed with shame and fury.
"Wow, it's so lifelike.
How did you even do that?"
Natsume marveled, letting the doll snatch the tiny Sabrina back.
Seeing the doll's expression, Natsume couldn't help recalling Sabrina's face a few days ago when he'd fiddled with the doll's clothes.
Practically indistinguishable.
"Are you Sabrina when you were little?"
Natsume leaned in, curious.
Guardedly, the doll hid the Sabrina figure behind its back with one hand, and covered its own head with the other.
Natsume noticed that the furnishings in the room looked like they were meant for a child.
"As you grew up, you sewed your childhood self back together.
In your main world, your childhood self clumsily chisels away at your grown-up self.
Is that it?"
Natsume patted the doll's head.
The doll stared blankly at Natsume.
It took another tap on the crown.
"Ow!"
"Do you even know what you're sculpting?"
"I'll tell you how to carve it."
Natsume said this—and produced the Sabrina figure.
The doll froze.
It whipped around to check and found that the figure it had hidden behind its back had indeed vanished.
When!?
Staring at Natsume as if seeing a ghost, the doll bristled but dared not lash out.
Enjoyed the story? Support me and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at: Patr*eon*.com/Resium
Free members can read 10+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Paid member can read 150+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Stories Available
Honkai? No, This Is Daily Life
Hogwarts Pet Master
Pokémon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!
Scrolling Yu-Gi-Oh! Shorts