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About half an hour later, the Pokémon had recovered their energy. Without wasting any time, Ash led Misty and Brock directly to the Saffron City Gym.
The Saffron Gym was a peculiar building. As they approached, the door opened automatically, and the trio stepped inside.
The interior structure of the gym was unusual. It resembled a palace, with golden hues dominating the décor, perfectly matching the name "Saffron City." However, despite its grandeur, the space felt eerily empty and simplistic.
There was hardly any furniture, making the entire gymnasium appear vast and barren. The emptiness left them unsure of where to go next.
"There's no one here!" Misty said, looking around suspiciously.
"There is someone!" Brock pointed to the door of a nearby room. Through a glass window on the door, he could see what was happening inside.
The three entered and observed the room. Inside, they saw many people seated around dining tables. However, they weren't eating. Instead, each table had strange, curved cutlery, and the people at the tables were intently focused on it.
All of them stood rigid, their gazes fixed on the utensils in their hands. Slowly but surely, the cutlery twisted under their intense concentration.
"They're all Psychics!" Misty exclaimed in amazement.
In this world, Psychic abilities were no secret. While rare, Psychics were widely known and accepted, provided their powers were not used for wrongdoing. Psychic abilities were even legal under such circumstances.
Still, Psychics were incredibly rare—one in a million. To see so many gathered in one place was astonishing.
"Who are you?" A sudden voice rang in their ears, startling Misty and Brock.
Turning around, they saw a long-haired man in a white coat standing behind them.
"I'm here to challenge the gym," Ash said confidently as he stepped forward.
"Challenge the gym?" The man appeared surprised. Few dared to challenge this gym anymore; Sabrina's reputation was formidable, and most trainers stayed far away. Judging by Ash's young age, the man assumed he was just an inexperienced rookie unaware of Sabrina's strength. His gaze reflected mild contempt.
"You're not a Psychic, are you?" the man asked.
"No, is that a problem?" Ash replied.
"You should leave," the man said dismissively. "If you're not a Psychic, there's no way you can defeat Miss Sabrina."
"Here we go again," Misty muttered, rolling her eyes. "So, ordinary people can't challenge Psychics? Is Sabrina really that terrifying?" Although she found the gym spooky, she was growing more curious after hearing the man's words.
"Of course! Psychics are on a completely different level from regular people," the man said proudly, pulling out a spoon. He focused intently on it, his face turning red with effort, until the spoon bent slightly.
Ash sighed, unimpressed. While he acknowledged the usefulness of strong Psychic abilities, this display seemed almost laughable to him.
"If that's all you can do, stop the show. I'm not interested in parlor tricks. I'm in a hurry, so just lead the way!" Ash said bluntly, his disdain evident.
"You... insolent child!" the man fumed. "Don't blame me when you regret this later!"
"You don't need to worry about me," Ash replied confidently.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, the man resolved to badmouth Ash to Sabrina. If the boy wanted to face her, he'd soon learn the hard way.
The man led the way, with Ash, Misty, and Brock following closely behind. As they walked deeper into the passageway, the lights gradually dimmed, casting eerie shadows that made Brock feel uneasy.
At the end of the corridor, they saw a large door. The man stepped forward and pushed it open.
Inside was a vast battlefield. Across the arena, a staircase led up to a raised platform, obscured by a curtain of white gauze. The man approached the stairs and spoke respectfully.
"Miss Sabrina, these people are here to challenge the gym. Although I don't think they're qualified, especially him," he said, gesturing at Ash. "His attitude is so arrogant that I—"
Buzz!
Before he could finish, a flicker of blue light illuminated the gauze curtain. A pair of glowing blue eyes appeared within it, and suddenly the man was enveloped by the same blue light.
"Ugh…"
The man's body froze, suspended in the air as if an invisible force had seized him. His face contorted in pain, as though he were suffocating.
"Ah!" Misty and Brock gasped in alarm. The light from within the gauze curtain revealed a small figure—a girl who looked no older than five or six. Her eyes glowed with an intense blue aura, clearly the source of the man's torment.
"Is that… the girl? No, wait, is she Sabrina?" Misty asked in shock, staring at the child-like figure.
Brock was equally stunned. "She's so young… and yet her Psychic power is on a completely different level. Compared to her, that guy from earlier was just fooling around."
"You must not insult my friends," the girl said softly, her voice cold and echoing with an unsettling chill that sent shivers through everyone in the room.
Misty froze. Was this Sabrina's younger self, the one the man from last night had mentioned? She remembered Sabrina's eerie request to Ash—to become her "friend." The realization unsettled her even more.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have spoken out of turn! Please forgive me!" the man begged, his voice trembling with regret.
Boom!
The blue light around the man vanished, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Scrambling to his feet, he muttered a quick apology and fled the room in a panic, leaving behind an ominous silence.
Misty and Brock exchanged worried glances. The warnings they had heard were true—Sabrina's power was no joke. Her presence was terrifying.
"Do you want to challenge me?" Sabrina—or the child-like figure they assumed was her—asked in a soft, chilling voice once the man had left.
"That's right," Ash said firmly. He stepped forward without hesitation, his voice calm and resolute.