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As Kai stepped into the gym's main hall, the sound of footsteps echoed behind him.
A middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, a scruffy beard, and casual attire approached.
"What brings you here?" the man asked curtly.
"Hello," Kai replied politely. "I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader, Sabrina. Is she available?"
The man nodded, his gaze shifting to Kirlia beside Kai.
"You're interested in Psychic-type Pokémon, huh? But... you don't seem to have any psychic potential yourself."
Kai blinked in confusion. "Psychic powers? Why would I need those? I'm here for a Pokémon battle, not a magic show."
"M-Magic show!?" The man's face turned red as he coughed in disbelief. He waved Kai along. "Come with me. But don't say I didn't warn you without psychic abilities, you can't fully unlock the potential of a Psychic-type Pokémon!"
Kai smiled faintly but didn't argue. He gave Kirlia an encouraging pat on the head and followed. If only he knew...
The corridor led to a grand battlefield. Marble tiles stretched across the floor, flanked by tall stone pillars that reached the ceiling.
Torches burned brightly on the sidelines, casting flickering shadows across the room. It felt less like a gym and more like an ancient temple.
On the far side, a striking woman sat silently on a raised platform. Her sleek black hair framed her pale face, and her piercing eyes watched him intently.
Dressed in a red leather skirt and long black stockings, she exuded an intimidating presence.
This was Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City.
"Sabrina, another challenger has arrived," the middle-aged man said, stepping into the centre of the battlefield to act as the referee.
Without a word, Sabrina rose from her chair. To Kai's amazement, she floated effortlessly to the trainer's platform, her feet never touching the ground.
"Impressive," Kai murmured, envious of her psychic abilities.
"I sensed your arrival," Sabrina said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. Her sharp gaze flicked to Kai's shadow, and a faint smirk appeared. "You carry a disruptive presence... that mischievous spirit hiding in your shadow."
Kai wasn't surprised. Sabrina's psychic abilities were legendary, after all.
He recalled her backstory vividly: Sabrina had awakened her psychic powers as a child but became consumed by them.
She isolated herself, shut out emotions, and estranged her family once even turning her mother into a doll and banishing her father.
This obsession led to the emergence of two personalities: the cold and powerful Sabrina, and a lonely, mischievous side longing for connection.
But thanks to Ash and his Haunter, Sabrina had recently reconciled with her family.
Though she still carried an air of aloofness, she was no longer consumed by her powers.
Kai glanced at the middle-aged man. That must be her father.
"Let's begin," Kai said, snapping out of his thoughts. "What are the rules?"
Sabrina's expression remained impassive. "A one-on-one battle. If you defeat my Pokémon, you earn the Marsh Badge."
She produced a Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, her Alakazam materialized a golden humanoid Pokémon with a thick moustache and a spoon in each hand.
Kai nodded to Kirlia, who stepped forward, ready for battle.
"Not using your Ghost-type Pokémon?" Sabrina asked.
Kai shook his head. "Kirlia needs the training. Using a Ghost-type would be too one-sided."
"Arrogant, aren't you?" Sabrina asked with a stoic face.
As if on cue, a Haunter floated into the battlefield. It circled Sabrina playfully before noticing Gastly peeking out of Kai's shadow.
With a delighted laugh, it zipped over, and the two Ghost-types began making silly faces at each other.
Kai smiled. 'That's Ash's Haunter. Looks like it decided to stay with Sabrina instead of returning to Lavender Tower.'
With the battlefield set, Kai called out, "Kirlia, use Psychic!"
Kirlia raised its delicate hands, unleashing a powerful wave of psychic energy that surged toward Alakazam.
Sabrina didn't speak, but Alakazam raised a spoon, countering with its own psychic force.
The two energies clashed mid-air, creating a dazzling burst of light.
Kirlia strained under the pressure, its movements slowing as Alakazam's superior psychic power overwhelmed it.
Kai observed Alakazam with a calm expression.
"Magic Leaf!" Kai commanded.
Kirlia summoned a flurry of glowing leaves that zipped toward Alakazam in an unpredictable pattern.
Without a word, Sabrina's Alakazam used Teleport, vanishing and reappearing several feet away, dodging the attack effortlessly.
Kai clenched his fists. Of course. Telepathy. Sabrina doesn't need to speak to give commands.
Sabrina's expression remained unreadable, but her focus was unshakable. "Psychic," she finally said.
Alakazam's eyes glowed, and Kirlia was lifted off the ground, writhing as it was thrown across the battlefield.
"Kirlia!" Kai shouted.
The Psychic-type Pokémon struggled to stand but nodded to Kai, determined to keep fighting.
Kirlia's resilience brought a faint smile to Sabrina's face. "Interesting. Let's see how far you can push yourself."
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