[Norman: Mystery solved! Black Ash charged straight in because he's that confident in his Aura power!]
[Professor Oak: I wouldn't say it's just confidence in his Aura. He also trusts his Pokémon completely.]
[Professor Oak: From what he learned from Sabrina's father—yes, she's personally powerful, but her Pokémon aren't that strong. Plus, we already saw Black Ash sensing her psychic surveillance earlier.]
[Professor Oak: That means Ash believes that, on the level of trainers, he won't lose to Sabrina. And on the level of Pokémon… he'll win outright.]
[Lance: Sharp, sharp, sharp! Professor Oak's analysis is spot on! You caught every detail!]
[Bruno: Ugh, what a bitter loss… I completely forgot about that earlier moment when Black Ash noticed someone spying on him. That means Sabrina's psychic power couldn't hide from his Aura sense—so they're at least on equal footing.]
[Bruno: No wonder even the usually cautious Ash decided to go in swinging! Guess I'm just not observant enough…]
[Professor Oak: …Are you implying something, Bruno? Because I feel vaguely insulted, but I have no proof.]
[Lorelei: Heh, Bruno, maybe stop trying to think. Intuition suits you better.]
[Agatha: Agreed. You big lug, using your brain doesn't suit you—don't go wasting the few brain cells you have left. Trust your gut instead.]
[Bruno: …] They weren't wrong, but it still hurt. Was he really that bad at thinking?
Inside the Black World—
Ash and his friends arrived straight at the Saffron Gym. The disciples stationed at the entrance, clearly under Sabrina's telepathic orders, didn't try to stop them at all. Without encountering a single obstacle, they walked directly into the inner chamber—where a thick curtain hung between them and the Gym Leader. The room's layout looked just like any other Gym—until the curtain was pulled aside by an unseen force. Behind it sat Sabrina.
Her beauty was striking—pale skin, elegant features untouched by makeup, and an emotionless, icy expression that radiated an aura of intimidation. Long violet hair cascaded down her shoulders, and the crimson suit and black thigh-high stockings she wore outlined her mature, curving figure perfectly. In short—she was breathtaking. But Brock didn't dare let his usual infatuation show; in fact, his heart almost stopped beating. The oppressive aura radiating from her wasn't even aimed at him—yet he could barely breathe.
Misty, trembling behind Ash, peeked out nervously. Sabrina wasn't nearly as creepy as she'd imagined—but her presence was every bit as suffocating. Only Ash and Pikachu stood tall, eyes burning with determination. "You're the Saffron Gym Leader, right? Sabrina—let's battle!" Sabrina's lips curved faintly. "Very well. But if you lose… you'll stay and play with me.
Especially you." Her cold red eyes locked on Ash, studying him intently—clearly aware of the strange energy surrounding him. The entire city of Saffron was within her psychic grasp; she knew the moment any outsider entered her domain. Ash and his friends were no exception. But—Ash had felt her watching. That shouldn't have been possible. Her psychic probing was undetectable to normal humans. Which could only mean—Ash was not normal. That alone piqued Sabrina's curiosity.
So when she said he'd "stay to play," what she really meant was that she wanted to understand him—to test him. But Ash and his friends knew exactly what "playing" with Sabrina meant, thanks to her father's warnings. Getting turned into dolls. Shrunk. Used as toys. Still, they'd already accepted that risk. At this point, all they could do was trust Ash.
"As the Gym Leader, I'll send out my Pokémon first." Sabrina floated gracefully down from her seat, the doll in her arms raising a Poké Ball with psychic force. "Come out—Abra." White light flashed, revealing a yellow, fox-like Pokémon. An unevolved Psychic-type, Abra was among the weakest of its kind—capable of teleportation and little else. Its combat potential depended entirely on the trainer's control. If Sabrina's father hadn't told them beforehand that she used an Abra, Ash wouldn't have believed it. The Saffron Gym—famous for being the most terrifying in Kanto—was guarded by a mere Abra? "All right then—Charmander, I choose you!" "Char!" With a burst of light, Charmander appeared on the battlefield, its limbs and tail wrapped in weighted iron bands.
Ash didn't send out Pikachu—against Abra, he wanted to test the waters first. Besides, Hypno was the real threat. "Charmander, start off strong—use Ember!" Charmander opened its mouth, spitting a flurry of orange-red fireballs! Sabrina didn't move. She didn't even speak.
Her eyes glowed faintly red— —and Abra vanished. "Charmander! Behind you—Flamethrower, now!" "Char!" Without hesitation, Charmander spun around, unleashing a blazing jet of fire! The flames struck precisely where Abra reappeared. For the first time, Sabrina's cold face flickered with surprise. Her eyes flashed red again—and a translucent blue barrier formed in front of Abra, blocking the flames completely. When the smoke cleared, she gazed at Ash, curiosity gleaming behind her calm expression. "That—was it your psychic power?"
Ash grinned. "Something like that. If I'm fighting a psychic, of course I'm gonna use psychic power too! You thought I couldn't see you channeling your powers into Abra?" "Oh, and that barrier just now—most of it came from your own psychic strength, didn't it? That's cheating, you know~" He said it with an easy smile, completely unbothered by her overwhelming presence. The reason he could predict Abra's movements so perfectly?
It was thanks to his Aura. No matter where Abra teleported, its life energy—the wave of its existence—couldn't hide from Ash's Aura sense. To others, psychic teleportation seemed mysterious and unstoppable. But to Ash, it was something he could track. In his eyes, Sabrina's "supernatural power" had patterns—and he could see right through them.
PS :
Norman is the Gym Leader of Petalburg City .
Agatha is the oldest member of the Kanto Elite Four and a master of Ghost-type Pokémon who strongly believes that Pokémon are primarily for battling. She is a fierce, short-tempered woman and a former rival of Professor Oak, often criticizing him for "going soft" and focusing on the Pokédex instead of competition.
If you Enjoyed Reading
Visit my p@treon for more chapters
Advance 80+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/Sagamaster789
If you really Enjoyed Reading. Give Power Stones and Reviews !