Saffron City – Superpower Gym
Sabrina's father led Maen to the Superpower Gym before disappearing with a Psychic teleportation.
He had other matters to handle—specifically, dealing with Team Rocket members who might attempt to contact Sabrina.
Before leaving, he placed a solemn hand on Maen's shoulder, his expression filled with trust and expectation.
Maen couldn't help but feel a little weird.
"This almost feels like a father-in-law entrusting his daughter to me…"
Shaking off the odd thought, he stepped into the Saffron Gym.
---
Inside, two gym apprentices dressed in white coats stopped him. Each held a spoon, their eyes focused with deep concentration.
Maen recognized them immediately—they were the Psychic apprentices from the animated series.
Upon seeing him, they nodded respectfully.
"Master Sabrina is waiting for you."
Without another word, they led Maen further into the gym.
As he followed, Maen took in the impressive surroundings.
There was no doubt—the Superpower Gym was on another level compared to most gyms. The scale, the layout, and the decorations were all far more refined than those of other cities.
Along the way, he spotted numerous Psychic apprentices in white robes, all practicing their powers with spoons in their hands.
Some looked as if they were struggling to the point of constipation, while others managed to bend their spoons slightly, their faces lighting up with satisfaction.
Maen sighed.
He knew that Psychic power was largely dependent on talent, not effort. People like Sabrina and Caitlin (the future Unova Elite Four member) were born prodigies. Even without intense training, their powers would naturally grow over time.
For others, like these apprentices, no amount of practice could elevate them beyond basic abilities.
Still, they trained diligently. Even weak Psychics had a natural bond with Psychic-type Pokémon, which made them valuable for Pokémon recovery programs.
Before long, Maen arrived at the battlefield gates.
Surprisingly, no one tried to test his qualifications or deny him entry. It was clear—Sabrina was like an unchallenged ruler here. When she commanded, no one questioned her.
Just as he reached for the gate, it opened on its own.
Inside, Sabrina sat on a chair, holding a doll in her arms.
"You're finally here."
The doll in her arms spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
Maen's eyes widened slightly—not because of the talking doll, but because of Sabrina's appearance.
She wasn't quite the Sabrina from the original anime.
Her long green hair had been replaced with a shade closer to lavender, and her eyes weren't gloomy, just eerily indifferent—almost like a puppet.
Still, he wasn't surprised that she had been expecting him.
She had seen him in a Future Sight vision.
Rather than dwelling on it, Maen simply asked:
"Why did you invite me here?"
Sabrina didn't answer directly.
Instead, her emotionless voice stated:
"Let's battle. If you lose… you'll stay here forever and play with me."
Maen blinked.
Stay here forever… with a young, beautiful, and wealthy Sabrina?
For a brief moment, he was tempted.
But he quickly snapped himself out of it.
"No way. I'm aiming to become a legendary Trainer. I can't afford to get distracted."
He knew words alone wouldn't bring back Sabrina's lost humanity. Only action would make a difference.
Luckily, he had already prepared for this moment.
"Haunter! It's your time to shine!"
A faint chuckle echoed as a Haunter suddenly materialized beside Sabrina, floating mischievously.
Then, without warning—
It started making exaggerated, ridiculous faces.
Maen watched carefully.
In the original Pokémon anime, Haunter had made Sabrina laugh with this exact method. If history repeated itself, this could be the key to breaking her emotionless shell.
However…
Sabrina remained completely expressionless.
Her gaze slowly shifted toward Haunter—calm, cold, and indifferent.
Haunter's exaggerated movements began to slow.
His confidence wavered.
His hands trembled.
The eerie silence of the gym grew heavier.
And then…
(/ω＼)
Haunter covered his face, turned around, and flew straight back to Maen, clinging to his head in despair.
"You tricked me, you terrible Trainer! You said this would work! Why is she looking at me like I'm an idiot?!"
Maen's face twitched.
He had been so sure this would work.
Then it hit him.
"Wait a minute… In the anime, Haunter spent time watching comedy shows. He actually knew how to be funny. My Haunter… just eats and sleeps all day."
Conclusion?
The plan wasn't flawed—his Haunter just sucked at comedy.
Before he could recover from his embarrassment, Sabrina's cold voice interrupted.
"Enough jokes. Let's start the battle."
The Battle Begins!
Maen took a deep breath.
Since the trick had failed, there was only one option left—
A real battle.
Haunter, now determined to redeem himself, floated back to the battlefield, his usual playful grin replaced with serious determination.
Sabrina, still seated, didn't move a muscle.
Instead, the doll in her arms tossed out a Poké Ball.
A flash of light revealed—
Abra.
Maen narrowed his eyes.
"A senior-level Abra… That's not a real challenge for Haunter. Ghost-types counter Psychic-types, and Abra's battle skills are weak."
However, he already knew—this wasn't going to be a normal battle.
Sabrina had a trick up her sleeve.
And sure enough—
Her eyes began to glow red.
At that moment, something changed.
Abra, who had been squinting lazily, suddenly opened its eyes—
Revealing blood-red pupils.
An ominous energy filled the room.
Maen's stomach sank.
"She's enhancing Abra with her own Psychic power."
Sabrina's Psychic abilities were already one of the strongest in the region. Combined with her childhood obsession with training, her power was greater than even most Psychic Pokémon.
Now, with her mental energy poured directly into Abra—
A bright glow surrounded the Pokémon.
Then—
Abra began evolving.
The golden light intensified.
Within moments, Abra had transformed into Kadabra.
Its strength skyrocketed to elite level, and Sabrina's Psychic influence further boosted its abilities.
Even with Haunter's natural type advantage, the sheer force of Kadabra's enhanced Psychic energy made it a terrifying opponent.
Maen smirked.
"So, we're playing dirty, huh?"
He cracked his knuckles.
"Alright then. Let's see who comes out on top."
As the battle officially began—
The air crackled with tension.
This wasn't just a Gym Battle.
It was a fight for something much bigger.
And Maen had no intention of losing.
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