Inside the Black World—
Hypno unleashed its psychic power, seizing control of Charmeleon's Flamethrower midair—then hurled it back with overwhelming force! The blazing stream of fire twisted into the shape of a dragon, roaring as it surged straight toward Charmeleon! But Charmeleon didn't flinch. His eyes burned with savage determination. With a snarl, he raised his claws, and tore the flaming dragon apart with brute strength! Sparks exploded in every direction, lighting up the entire Gym like a storm of stars.
Sabrina froze in disbelief at the sight. And Misty and Brock? Their jaws practically hit the floor. Charmeleon after evolving… seemed much more ferocious. And strangely, Ash—standing opposite him—mimicked the same ripping motion at the exact same moment.
When the flames dispersed, Charmeleon shot forward like a fired bullet. This time, however, Sabrina was ready. Hypno's eyes gleamed—and an invisible force froze Charmeleon mid-charge! "Psychic Bind?" Ash's brow furrowed. He could feel the invisible pressure locking Charmeleon's body in place. Ordinary telekinesis shouldn't have been able to keep up with Charmeleon's speed—because psychic attacks move with the user's thoughts. If your mind can't follow, your power won't either.
But Psychic Bind was different. As long as the opponent saw the user's gaze, the technique triggered instantly—like Medusa's petrifying stare. Got you… Hypno, Hypnosis! Hypno swung the hypnotic pendulum in slow, rhythmic arcs. Within seconds, Charmeleon's eyelids drooped—and he collapsed, fast asleep. "Oh no, Hypnosis!" "Charmeleon's in trouble now…"
Misty and Brock's faces were filled with worry. That was the terror of Psychic-types—unless you completely overpowered them, they could toy with you endlessly using a dozen different tricks. That was why that old man had once advised them to go to Lavender Town and catch Ghost-types. Ghosts and Psychics countered each other. And ghostly tricks were bizarre and unpredictable—not so easily trapped by psychic control. But right now, Charmeleon was asleep. It looked like Ash would have to switch to Pikachu.
"It's over, Ash! Hypno, Psychic!" Sabrina's eyes shone brightly. This time, she didn't even use telepathy—she shouted her command out loud! Even she didn't realize how much excitement had crept into her voice. "Sore wa dou kana? (I wonder about that?)" Ash didn't look the least bit panicked. In fact, he was smiling. Before Sabrina could even process what he'd said, the supposedly sleeping Charmeleon's eyes snapped open!
He rolled to the side, narrowly dodging Hypno's psychic blast—then sprang up like lightning, charging forward! At point-blank range, he unleashed his signature move once more— a torrent of flames that swallowed Hypno whole! The temperature inside the Gym skyrocketed. If the walls weren't made of reinforced concrete, Saffron Gym would probably have gone up in flames. When the fire finally faded, Hypno lay blackened and motionless on the floor. The battle… was over. Sabrina's eyes widened. Her face flickered with a dozen emotions—confusion, disbelief, self-doubt… and something else. She simply couldn't accept it. She, who had used her full power, had actually lost—and in a straight fight. Ash didn't care about any of that.
He dashed forward, scooped Charmeleon into his arms, and spun him around in celebration. "Yeah! We did it, Charmeleon!!" Sabrina blinked, then recalled her defeated Hypno. Her expression was complicated. "Why… why didn't Charmeleon fall asleep?" Ash grinned, setting Charmeleon down. "You can hypnotize Charmeleon—but I can wake him up, can't I? If the roles were reversed, and I hypnotized your Hypno, could you wake it up without using psychic power?" Sabrina: "..." Wait—what?That was allowed?! She'd never even considered that possibility. Sabrina had almost no real battle experience—her psychic might had always allowed her to crush opponents before they could act. It had never occurred to her that Ash had let Charmeleon fall asleep on purpose, as part of a tactical setup. Ash smirked. "Hey, Sabrina, that look on your face—it's great. Frustration, regret, defiance… those are real emotions.
Before, you were so cold, I thought you were some kind of emotionless robot." Sabrina froze, then slowly raised a slender hand to touch her cheek. So many expressions… had she really shown that many? Ash stepped closer, extending a calloused hand toward her. "Pokémon battles are fun, right? You never know what'll happen until the very end." "So… try stepping outside your little bubble. See the world. Battles aren't something you can control with just psychic power."
"Next time, get stronger—and we'll battle again. Oh, and one more thing—girls look a lot prettier when they smile." Sabrina stared at the hand held out before her—not large, but firm, warm, and real. Ash's words echoed through her mind again and again. After a long pause, she reached out her own pale, delicate hand—and clasped his. For the first time, she smiled. A soft, gentle smile that glowed like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. "Yes… next time, we'll battle again.
And I won't lose!" As she said it, something deep inside her shattered— the invisible wall that had sealed away her emotions for so long. At last, she'd reclaimed her feelings as a normal girl. And more than that— as she held Ash's hand, feeling its warmth seep into her skin, her heart began to pound faster and faster. What is this feeling? She didn't know. But whatever it was—she didn't dislike it.
[Lance: Uh… that smile looks a little different from the one in White Ash's timeline when Haunter made her laugh, doesn't it?]
[Sabrina's Father: My daughter… don't tell me she's actually fallen for Black Ash?!]
Author's Notes:
In the games, "Psychic Bind" is practically useless,
but in the anime, it can genuinely freeze Pokémon in place—
like Misty's Psyduck being petrified that one time.
Also, Gen 1 Psychic-types were absolutely broken.
When I first saw Sabrina's episode, I nearly cried—
there was just one word for it: unbeatable.
PS2: Fun fact—Sabrina's father never had an official name in the original!
Some sources claim it's "Yao Feng."
…Seriously? Why not just call him "Yao Ming" at that point?
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