In a taxi heading to Saffron City.
"For a TM like Pain Split, it's worth the trip."
Pain Split: Adds the HP of the Pokémon and its opponent, then redistributes it evenly.
Not only could Gengar learn this move, but so could Vulpix.
"Pain Split" was a technique Johan had been trying to acquire for some time, but it had always been hard to find sellers, and when he did, the prices were astronomical.
Moves like Pain Split and Perish Song were rare commodities.
This particular move suited Gengar's battle style perfectly. While Gengar already had Dream Eater for recovery, it wasn't always feasible to put opponents to sleep. Pain Split bridged that gap effectively.
Moreover, Gengar could use Curse or Substitute to reduce its HP before redistributing it with its opponent, causing devastating damage comparable to powerful offensive moves.
For Vulpix, learning this move would provide an additional recovery option.
"Before heading to Pallet Town, I still have to visit Sabrina in Saffron City."
Johan sighed.
Sabrina was a handful. Small in stature and... well, small in other areas too.
Though Sabrina was an immensely powerful psychic, her straightforward personality made her easier to deal with.
Her strong psychic abilities had isolated her from others since childhood, leaving her without normal social experiences.
In the original manga, she was tricked by Blue's "chest hiding the Poké Ball" move—a double blow, physically and emotionally.
Yet later, she worked alongside Blue during the mission to rescue Red.
After confirming that Sabrina was his patient "Psychic Girl," Johan became even more certain of her nature.
Sabrina was morally ambiguous—neither purely good nor entirely evil.
This was true for most of Giovanni's top executives, including Koga and Lt. Surge.
Their moral alignment shifted depending on the situation. When no greater villains were present, they were antagonists.
But when a larger threat, like the Masked Man, appeared, they became allies of justice.
Before he knew it, the taxi had arrived in Saffron City.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar suddenly emerged from Johan's shadow, startling the driver.
It took Johan a while to convince him they weren't robbers or trying to skip the fare.
After they got out, Ice Vulpix burst into laughter, rolling on its back in Johan's arms.
Not far from where they exited, Sabrina sat cross-legged on a bench, watching them with a bemused smile. Beside her stood her Alakazam.
In Sabrina's lead, Johan and his Pokémon arrived at the grand Saffron Gym.
Once, this bustling metropolis of Kanto boasted two gyms: Sabrina's Psychic-type Gym and a Fighting Dojo.
But with Sabrina's rise, her psychic prowess overpowered Fighting-type Pokémon, and she defeated the dojo's master, Kiyo.
After his loss, Kiyo left to train on Mt. Mortar, leading to the Fighting Dojo's closure.
Now, the mention of Saffron Gym was synonymous with Sabrina's Psychic Gym, infamous for being one of Kanto's toughest.
"I see Haunter has evolved into Gengar. It's grown much stronger," Sabrina remarked, glancing at Gengar, who was curiously exploring the gym.
Sabrina, with her strong psychic abilities, could sense far more than Bill ever could.
Even her Alakazam seemed aware of Gengar's immense potential.
Inside the gym, Sabrina stopped and turned.
"So, cooking first or a gym battle?"
"Huh? A gym battle?" Johan blinked in confusion.
Sabrina floated into the air, crossing her legs.
"You don't step into a gym without a battle, do you?"
Wait, when did I agree to this? Johan thought, dumbfounded.
"Besides, only through battle can I truly understand Gengar's state and help it awaken its psychic potential."
Her reasoning was sound.
Johan, too, was curious about Gengar's strength post-evolution, and battling was the quickest way to assess it.
He glanced at Gengar, who grinned and nodded confidently.
"Ka-kaah!"
Its battle spirit was palpable.
"Alright, battle it is," Johan relented.
Better to battle than risk Sabrina deciding to turn him into a doll if things went south.
Sabrina smiled faintly.
"Very well."
"Rules: unlimited battle or standard?" Johan asked quickly.
He had to clarify. If it were unlimited, meaning trainers could join the fight, Sabrina's psychic abilities would overwhelm him, leaving Gengar to fend off both Sabrina and her Pokémon.
Sabrina raised her chin slightly.
"Standard rules," she replied, her tone haughty.
"Don't worry. I'm just here to observe Gengar's abilities, not to kill you. I won't use Alakazam."
Good.
Sabrina floated to one side of the battlefield, summoning a Poké Ball to her fingertip with psychic energy.
When it opened, a humanoid Pokémon appeared.
Mr. Mime!
"Ba-ri!"
Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokémon, possessed Psychic and Fairy typing.
Sabrina's Mr. Mime was one of her strongest partners. Johan remembered it from the manga, where it single-handedly defeated Bugsy's Pokémon during the Kanto-Johto Gym Leader Tournament.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar sunk into the shadows, reemerging in the arena.
Johan acted first.
"Gengar, use Toxic!"
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar grinned wickedly, spitting a glob of corrosive poison toward Mr. Mime.
Sabrina's eyes glimmered with psychic energy. Without a word, Mr. Mime reacted.
"Ba-ri!"
It conjured an invisible wall.
Barrier!
The toxic sludge splattered against the translucent barrier, unable to reach its target.
But the venom hissed and corroded the barrier's surface.
Sabrina's brows furrowed. Such strong poison!
As Mr. Mime erected a second barrier, Sabrina smirked.
She was ready to counter.
"Shadow Ball."
Johan's command came swiftly.
Gengar unleashed two Shadow Balls, hurling them at the barrier.
The impact sent dust flying.
When the smoke cleared, Sabrina's confidence remained unshaken.
Mr. Mime had constructed an elaborate, invisible maze of barriers, forming what Sabrina called her "Hunting Room."
Trapped inside, Gengar couldn't escape.
Mr. Mime launched a powerful Psychic attack, aiming directly at Gengar.
BOOM!
Gengar exploded in a burst of smoke.
"Ba-ri?"
Mr. Mime paused, confused.
Was that... a decoy?
Johan smiled.
"Gengar, show Sabrina your ace in the hole."
"Ka-kaah!!"
From Mr. Mime's shadow, Gengar emerged with a mischievous grin, holding a massive, pitch-black Shadow Ball—bigger than itself.
BOOM!!
The battlefield erupted.
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Powerstones?
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