"Don't worry, we know what we're doing." Ash patted his chest confidently, giving a reassuring grin.
There were plenty of reasons he wanted to challenge Sabrina. Some came from the big shots in the group chat, others from his own curiosity. But most of all, he wanted to test himself, to stand against an Elite-level opponent and see how far he had come.
The harder the challenge, the more it fueled his fighting spirit.
Of course, he wasn't stupid. If there was no hope of victory at all, he wouldn't go rushing in just to get beaten up. As one of the group members often said: "A one-sided fight teaches you nothing except how to lose confidence."
But now that he had an Elite Four-level Gastly, things were different. He had a real shot.
And there was one more reason, a far more serious one.
According to the Harem King Ash from another world, Sabrina wasn't just strong, she was fragile. A girl trapped within her own mind.
If no one reached her in time, she would fall into darkness.
In many parallel worlds, Sabrina had been drawn into Team Rocket's grasp, manipulated, brainwashed, and used as a weapon. The Sabrinas who fell into that abyss had caused countless disasters across timelines, becoming one of the hardest obstacles the other Ashes had ever faced.
That's why the senior members of the chat had urged him to challenge her early, to "save her before it's too late."
Of course, the multiverse was unpredictable. Every world was different. In some, Sabrina never turned evil, even if Ash never met her. In others, she found her own redemption without anyone's help.
But this was his world, and his path.
And he needed to see her with his own eyes before deciding what kind of Sabrina lived here.
"Speaking of which…" Ash said suddenly, tilting his head toward the ceiling of the Pokémon Center. "Have you seen enough?"
Misty and Brock froze.
"W-what are you talking about?" Misty stammered. "Seen enough of what?"
Her voice trembled as she instinctively moved closer to Ash, following his gaze toward the ceiling, but she saw nothing.
Could it be… another ghost? Like the one from Gorge?
"I noticed it the moment we entered Saffron City," Ash said calmly. "A strange power's been surrounding us. That's Psychic energy. Someone's been watching us ever since we arrived."
His words dropped like a thunderclap.
He'd felt it from the very start, that unseen gaze pressing on him, invisible yet undeniable. Whoever it was, they'd already discovered him, and probably sensed that he was no ordinary Trainer.
But the moment he said those words, "Have you seen enough?", that presence faded away.
"She's gone now," Ash said quietly. "Guess she realized we'll meet soon anyway."
Misty gulped. "I… I have a bad feeling. Like, a really bad one!"
"Didn't Joy already say she was scary?" Brock muttered.
Misty bit her lip, then whispered nervously, "Wait… you don't think she's still listening, right?"
Ash waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. She's gone. I'll go call Professor Oak first."
He turned toward the Pokémon Center's phone booth, dialed the familiar number, and soon enough, Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen, along with a cup of instant noodles.
For some reason, every single time Ash called, the Professor was eating instant noodles.
Ash couldn't help but sigh. "Professor Oak… are you eating that again? Don't you ever take a break from research?"
"Research waits for no one, my boy!" Oak said between bites, his tone as serious as ever. "Now then, I assume you've arrived in Saffron City?"
"Yeah," Ash nodded. "I'm ready to challenge Sabrina. Send Gastly back to me first, I'll swap him for Pidgeotto."
"Alright, alright." Oak set his noodles aside with a sigh. "I'll fetch Gastly. He's been very comfortable in the backyard lately. Even Butterfree likes to hang around him."
Professor Oak said, moving away from the phone with a sigh.
As a ghost who had lived for thousands of years, Gastly's power might not rank among the strongest, but in terms of skill and versatility, he far surpassed ordinary Pokémon. Over the centuries, he had even mastered techniques that should have been impossible for a Gastly to learn.
For instance, the Ho-Oh he transformed into during his battle with Ash was a special illusionary ability he had developed himself. He could change into the appearance of other Pokémon and even mimic their moves, abilities, traits, and attributes.
It was essentially an advanced form of Ditto's Transform skill.
However, this ability had its limits. He couldn't use the powers of top-tier legendary Pokémon. The Ho-Oh he transformed into earlier only had its outward form and aura, it lacked Ho-Oh's divine flames, sacred energy, and unique characteristics.
Even so, this self-taught skill was already extraordinary. Because of it, Gastly could evolve and de-evolve at will and had learned many unusual moves. That was why he was able to teach Butterfree the move Tailwind back at Oak's Laboratory.
Butterfree's current level was still a bit low, and it would probably only master Tailwind once it reached the peak of its advancement. For now, it was only at the intermediate stage.
It seemed Gastly might become an excellent teacher for the Pokémon in the backyard in the future.
A moment later, Professor Oak returned with Gastly. Leaning close to the camera with an exaggerated grin, Gastly said, "It's my turn to go on stage, right?"
"Yes, Gastly, it's up to you this time," Ash said. "We'll be facing Psychic-type Pokémon about as strong as you. Think you can handle it?"
"Heh, you should ask your Trainer about that!"
"That's true," Ash chuckled.
After a short exchange, Professor Oak placed Gastly into a Poké Ball and sent it through the transfer system, while Ash sent back Pidgeotto in return.
"I've got Gastly's Poké Ball," Ash said, holding it up to the screen.
"Good. I've received Pidgeotto's Poké Ball as well. Ash, listen carefully," Professor Oak warned. "If you lose, use your Aura to get Misty and Brock out of there. Sabrina's Psychic powers aren't ordinary, she has some eerie techniques. Even with your Aura, if you're struck, it could have irreversible effects."
After giving his final warning, Professor Oak hung up the call.
With Gastly's Poké Ball in hand, Ash and his friends made their way to Saffron Gym.
When they arrived, a man in work clothes stepped in front of them.
"Are you here to challenge Sabrina? Take my advice, don't. She's not like other Gym Leaders."
The three exchanged glances. This Gym was clearly different. There was even someone stationed at the entrance just to stop challengers.
However, before Ash could respond, a little girl who looked like a porcelain doll appeared silently beside the man in work clothes.
"Don't interfere, okay? I finally found someone who can play with me."
The moment the man saw the doll-like girl, a look of shock flickered across the half of his face visible beneath his hat, then, without warning, he vanished into thin air.
The sight was eerie beyond words. The sudden appearance of the girl and the man's disappearance felt more like a supernatural event than something real.
Misty instinctively moved closer to Ash, gripping his arm tightly. At that moment, only Ash's presence felt safe.
"Don't worry, Misty. I won't let her hurt you," Ash said, giving her a confident smile that somehow steadied her heart.
Under his calm reassurance, her panic eased a little, though she still didn't let go of his arm.
After the man disappeared, the doll-like girl cast one last glance at the group, then faded away right before their eyes.
At that same moment, the heavy doors of Saffron Gym creaked open on their own. There was no one behind them, only a cold stillness, as though some unseen force had beckoned them inside.
"Is this Sabrina's doing too?" Brock asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
The powers Sabrina displayed already seemed far beyond the Psychics he knew. Like Ash, she clearly wasn't an ordinary human.
"Yes," Ash nodded. "I can feel traces of Psychic energy above. Let's go."
He stepped forward, Misty still clutching his arm, Pikachu padding silently at his feet, and Brock following behind.
A moment later, they stepped into the vast interior of Saffron Gym.
Inside, there were dozens of apprentice Gym members, each one drawn here by Sabrina's immense Psychic power.
Despite her fearsome reputation, the allure of learning Psychic abilities was simply irresistible. Rumor had it that anyone who joined Saffron Gym could learn to wield Psychic power themselves.
For ordinary people who dreamed of becoming superhuman, that promise was too tempting to ignore.
So, even knowing the Gym's dark legends, many still chose to join. And indeed, Sabrina did teach them Psychic arts, but the suffocating pressure and mental strain of her presence drove many to the brink of instability.
Still, none could complain. After all, power never came without a price.
Just as Ash and his friends reached the inner arena, a young man wearing a mask stepped in front of them.
He asked for their purpose, and upon hearing they were there to challenge Sabrina, his expression twisted with contempt.
"Do you have Psychic abilities?" he demanded.
All three, Ash, Misty, and Brock, shook their heads. Aura and Psychic weren't the same, so Ash's answer wasn't a lie.
"You dare challenge our Gym Leader without Psychic? Do you even know what happens to those who try?"
"I don't know," Ash said casually, shrugging. "But it doesn't matter. I'll win."
"You really dare to boast," the masked man sneered. "You just haven't witnessed the true terror of Psychic power. Let me show you, the strength personally taught by our Gym Leader...ugh!!"
Before he could finish, his expression twisted in agony. His hands shot up to his throat as if an invisible force were choking him. His face turned red, his body trembling as he struggled to breathe.
The sudden scene shocked all three of them, and Ash was the first to react. Anger flashed across his face.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Let him go, now!"
As he shouted, Aura flared around him, bursting forth like a wave of light. The invisible pressure that restrained the masked man shattered instantly under Ash's force.
The man collapsed to his knees, gasping for air, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Fear lingered in his eyes, he had genuinely thought he was about to die.
He didn't need anyone to tell him what had happened. That suffocating grip could only have come from one person, Sabrina.
Why didn't you say you were invited by the Gym Leader earlier! he cursed inwardly. If she invited you, why did I even try to stop you?!
He had only wanted to show off a bit of the Psychic techniques he'd learned under her teaching, but instead, he'd provoked her wrath.
He'd worked here long enough to know that Sabrina rarely interfered when challengers were turned away. For her to act now, and with such precision, meant this group was no ordinary set of visitors.
Still trembling, the masked man stood and, with a deep bow, led Ash and his companions toward the entrance to the main arena. Stopping there, he stepped aside and gestured respectfully.
"The Gym Leader awaits inside. Please… proceed."
There was no way he'd dare follow them in after angering Sabrina once. If she saw him again and decided he was still an eyesore, she might just crush him outright.
Ash nodded and, with one hand, pushed open the massive twin doors. They creaked heavily as they swung inward.
The interior of the Saffron Gym was vast, larger even than Vermilion City's battle arena. At the far end stood a tall curtain, and behind it, the outline of a slender figure faintly visible in the dim light. That had to be the Gym Leader, Sabrina.
As soon as they stepped inside, the great doors slammed shut behind them with a deafening bang. Misty flinched, clutching Ash's arm even tighter until she was pressed against him.
A soft, floral scent drifted past Ash's nose, but he ignored it, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the curtain ahead.
Through his Aura, he could sense the sheer power radiating from beyond the veil. Sabrina's Psychic energy wasn't just strong, it was immense.
It was the first time Ash had ever felt another human's power come so close to his own.
"You've arrived," came a clear, icy voice.
At that moment, the curtain slowly parted, revealing Sabrina's true form.