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Sabrina hated dresses.
No, she feared them. They made her feel exposed. Not physically, but emotionally. Vulnerable. Like wearing one meant she was pretending to be someone she wasn't. Or worse, admitting she wanted to be.
But this morning, Jessie had practically dragged her into a changing room with a pile of pastels and ruffles and said, "You want to impress the boy or not?"
So here she was. In a soft lavender sundress with white ribbon straps and the faintest shimmer at the hem. Her long hair, usually swept to the side or tangled with aura-induced static, had been carefully brushed and tied back with a pale blue ribbon. She even wore lip gloss.
She hated how much she liked it.
And when Austin saw her and said, "Hey there, Sabrina, you look amazing,"
…she nearly shut down.
"Thank you," she replied, defaulting to neutral. "I got Jessie to help me be normal."
"Guess I'm not the normal one between us, eh?" Austin said with a chuckle, patting the sleepy Umbreon strapped to his chest in a baby carrier like a very proud, very weird parent.
She stared at the Pokémon, and her stomach tightened. The presence of a Dark-type especially one so close felt like nails on a chalkboard to her aura. Everything about it disrupted her psychic flow. Even now, she could feel a light pulsing in the base of her skull. Still, she tried to raise a hand and pet it.
She flinched.
Austin caught it instantly. "Something wrong?"
Sabrina hesitated. Her pride bristled at the idea of being seen as weak. But… something in his voice wasn't judgment. Just concern.
"Sorry," she muttered. "I've got a headache. Took something for it. I'm okay. Let's just go."
He nodded, and together, they walked into the arcade.
It was too bright and too loud.
Children shrieked with laughter as tokens clinked into slots. Neon lights blinked in and out of rhythm. Somewhere, a Gengar animatronic did a bizarre little jig while vomiting tickets.
And above it all: the thoughts.
Oh, man, I'm gonna beat this score! She's watching me, act cool, act cool! Do you think that's her boyfriend? He looks so scrawny...
Sabrina flinched. She tried to close her mind, but her powers were too raw, too exposed. The environment was like trying to meditate inside a fireworks factory.
Austin didn't seem to notice.
He was guiding her toward a claw machine, eyes bright with mischief.
"You ever try this one?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He fed in a token and leaned forward, turning the crank with dramatic precision. Sabrina watched, uncertain. It was stupid. Childish. Meaningless.
And then he won a Pikachu plush, held it up in triumph, and turned to offer it to her like it was a legendary prize.
She blinked.
"Pika?" he said, imitating the voice badly.
And she laughed. Not a scoff. Not a sarcastic breath. A genuine, startled giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it.
She pressed her hand to her mouth, stunned.
Austin grinned. "There we go. Mission success."
They bounced from game to game or rather, Austin bounced while Sabrina observed like she was analyzing a foreign ritual. She didn't win much, didn't try much, but she followed.
She was… curious.
Because this boy wasn't what she expected.
The first time she met him, he had projected ridiculous, borderline perverted images into his mind like landmines. She thought he was just another arrogant brat with too much confidence and too little filter.
But now… he was kind.
He was patient.
He noticed when she flinched. He slowed down when the noise got too much. He never mocked her for not knowing how to play the games. He just smiled, nudged her forward, and made space for her to figure things out. Even the Dark-type on his chest glared at her less now.
When it came time to sit down and eat, Sabrina picked at her pizza.
It was warm. Cheesy. Probably fine. But the voices had started to creep in again.
Is she okay? She looks pale. Did she even smile at all today? Bet she's too good for him. I'd never date a guy like that.
She clenched her teeth.
Austin had gone off to the prize booth and returned, holding a small crystal on a silver chain. Purple, faintly glowing. The label on it had read: "Psychic-Type Stone."
"Got you something," he said, smiling sheepishly. "Thought it looked like you. Mysterious and cool. And hey, it was either this or a Machoke stress ball, so..."
He held it out.
Sabrina stared at the crystal in his hand, small and glowing faintly violet; a playful trinket, a prize from a game but to her, it wasn't just that.
He had picked something for her.
Not out of strategy. Not out of manipulation. Just… thoughtfulness.
He had seen her, not as the Executive of a criminal syndicate, not as the psychic freak people whispered about, not as the cold weapon Giovanni molded but as a girl. A person. And in that moment, her entire mind turned on itself.
It started with a flicker. A quiet confusion.
Why is he being kind?
Then it became questions. Emotions. Doubt.
Why is he looking at me like that? Why does my chest feel tight? Why can't I breathe like I usually do around people?
It wasn't like battle where anger, focus, fear, and control danced like old friends in her head. These emotions were new. Soft. Unfamiliar. And she'd never been trained for them. No one had ever trained her for affection.
For vulnerability.
For joy.
And with those emotions rising, the walls of her discipline, her control, her carefully monitored thoughts and they cracked.
And in rushed everything.
Every heartbeat in the room. Every whisper. Every flicker of judgment, awe, attraction, curiosity. Every thought, emotion, impulse around her hit all at once—a tidal wave of voices and desires crashing into her psyche like shrapnel.
Too much. Too loud. Too human.
Her throat tightened as her vision blurred.
"Shut up," she whispered.
"A little too bright?" Austin asked, mistaking the comment.
"SHUT UP!"
Her voice rang out like a whipcrack. Her aura which was always compressed, restrained, caged by years of training... snapped.
The table flew back, flipping into a nearby row of pinball machines. Austin was thrown with it, tumbling through a shower of sparks and flashing lights. The psychic pulse rippled through the arcade; screens went black, lights flickered, the Gengar animatronic sputtered and died mid-dance.
Everyone turned.
Everyone stared.
Sabrina stood there, trembling, her hands clenched into fists. Austin lay sprawled behind a busted token machine, blinking dazedly.
"...I liked the necklace," she whispered.
Then she turned and fled, boots echoing against tile, her cloak flaring behind her like a comet.
Outside, Sabrina gasped for breath as she leaned against the side of the building. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID. She wasn't meant to do this. She couldn't do this. She wanted to—and that made it worse.
He was nice and now he probably thought she was insane.
She felt the tears coming and forced them back. You can't cry, she told herself. You're too strong for that. But in the silence of the night, the soft weight of a necklace still clutched in her trembling fingers...made her wonder if maybe, just maybe...
She didn't want to be strong all the time. Just understood. Maybe even by a weirdo with a baby-carried Umbreon and too much patience for his own good.
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Austin burst through the arcade doors, the sound of the aftermath still ringing behind him—but none of that mattered. Sabrina was gone. Without hesitation, he released all his Pokémon in one smooth motion, Poké Balls clicking open like flares in the dim afternoon light.
"Guys, I need your help," he said, urgency in every syllable. "Sabrina's missing. She ran off after... well, you saw. If you find her, let her know I want to talk. Just talk. Tell her I'm not mad, and I'm here. Meet back here in five."
Pikachu gave a salute and bolted toward the rooftops. Rattata dashed into alleyways, tail flicking. Vee lingered just long enough to give Austin a determined look, then melted into the shadows like a wraith.
Austin took off in the other direction, checking alleyways, side streets, scanning every face in the crowd. But Sabrina was nowhere. Not surprising for someone with her abilities, hiding was second nature.
So he pulled out the burner phone Green had insisted he carry—a necessary evil for a growing list of private contacts—and called Jessie. Then James. Finally, after some theatrical groaning and dramatic sighing on their end, he got what he needed: Sabrina's number.
He dialed. No answer. He tried again. And again. And again. On the fifth try, the line finally clicked. A voice, guarded and raw, came through. "Who is this?"
"Sabrina, it's me. Austin. Are you okay?"
A pause.
"I'm fine," she said stiffly. "Just... got overwhelmed. Couldn't control my powers. I'm sorry if you got hurt."
Austin let out a breath, trying to keep it light. "Nah, I'm tougher than I look. My ego's a little bruised, but that happens anytime I get launched into a claw machine."
No laugh. Just silence.
"Can you tell me where you are?" he asked gently.
"Why?"
"So we can finish our date."
"I don't want to," she replied, but there was no bite in it.
Austin tilted his head. "Don't want to? Or are you afraid?"
A beat passed.
"...Both."
His chest ached at the honesty in her voice. She sounded so small. So far from the confident, stone-faced Rocket executive he remembered from the manga.
He swallowed. "I knew you were a psychic when we first met."
Her voice sharpened. "What?"
"I've met psychics before. I could tell. That's why I did what I did... why I projected those... weird thoughts. I wasn't trying to be a creep. I was trying to guard myself. I didn't know what you wanted."
She was quiet again.
"I didn't lie to you, Sabrina," Austin said. "I just protected myself. But I see you now—the real you—and I'm not afraid."
Silence.
Then... a knock.
He turned.
She stood outside the nearby phone booth, shoulders hunched, tear-streaked cheeks flushed from crying. He stepped out slowly, soft as a breeze. "How're you feeling?"
"Better," she whispered, voice raw. "Still... weird. But better."
He nodded. "Let's finish our date. Just somewhere quieter."
Sabrina hesitated, then gave a small, brave smile. "Can we get different clothes too?"
Austin grinned. "Sure. Whatever makes you feel happy."
Her smile faltered a little. "Does a freak like me even deserve to be happy? That seems selfish. I want to be selfish."
Austin blinked at her, then said quietly, "Maybe the truth is... there's a little selfishness in every happiness. Wanting something for yourself doesn't make you a freak. It just makes you human."
And without thinking too hard, he pulled her into a gentle hug. She clung to him like she hadn't realized how much she needed it.
Later, they found a quiet boutique tucked into a side street where Sabrina changed out of her flashier outfit and into something more low-key: faded jeans, a soft lavender hoodie, and a dark grey beanie that slouched just enough to make her look like a tired college student.
Austin didn't say much just offered a thumbs-up when she emerged.
"You look great."
"You don't have to lie," she muttered, fidgeting with the sleeves.
"I'm not lying," he said honestly. "I mean it. You look like... you."
She smiled.
They ended their night with a gondola ride, renting one of the small boats that drifted lazily through the canal that ran through Cerulean's park district. As they glided across the moonlit water, Sabrina sipped her coffee and leaned against the railing, watching the ripples pass.
Austin, on the other hand, was struggling to row.
"Okay, I think I've got it now—nope—nope, we're spinning again—"
Sabrina raised a hand. The oar floated in place, turned smoothly, and guided them forward like an invisible hand was steering the stars.
Austin sighed. "I could've done that."
Sabrina smirked. "It's my date too. Let me carry some of the weight."
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair."
As the boat drifted into a more quiet bend in the canal, surrounded by willow trees and lantern light, they both fell into a silence; not awkward, but warm. Restful.
"Austin," she said, voice quiet. "Can you tell me more about the psychics you've met?"
"You want to meet them?"
Sabrina nodded slowly. "Yes. Being born a psychic is... one in a million. It would be good to know people who see the world the way I do."
He smiled faintly, letting his gaze wander upward toward the starlit sky. "There's a girl. In Viridian. Her name's Yellow. Psychic, but gentle. She could understand Pokémon even heal them. Rare kind of person."
He pictured her clearly in his mind that yellow poncho, that ever-present smile.
"I could show you an image," Austin offered, tapping his temple. "If you want to peek."
Sabrina tensed slightly. "No," she said. "I don't want to read your mind."
"What? Is it too perverted in there?"
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "No. Maybe. But… I'll take your word for it."
There was a beat of silence. The breeze tugged gently at Sabrina's hoodie, her hair shifting like a curtain across her cheek. She didn't push it away.
"Thanks," Austin said. "But I've been wondering… why did you even want to go on this date? You know considering, uh, that first encounter we had."
Sabrina didn't answer right away. She stared out over the dark water, eyes unreadable.
"You don't have to say if you don't want to," Austin said quickly, already regretting the question.
But then, she spoke.
"Freak. Monster. Cold. Emotionless. Loner." I've heard or rather, felt those thoughts directed at me more times than I can count," she said softly. "People don't trust me. I don't blame them. Who'd want to be friends with someone who can hear what you think?"
Austin said nothing. He just listened.
"I don't have the kind of power to read minds like a book, not unless someone's thinking really loud. But that doesn't stop people from pulling away. Even before I say a word, they think I'm a danger." She gave a bitter smile. "Which I suppose I am."
Austin frowned.
"And then you," Sabrina continued. "Despite your… colorful imagination..." she gave him a sidelong glance, just short of smirking, "you didn't run. You didn't flinch. You talked to me like a person. You saw me. That's… rare."
She hesitated, then whispered, almost to herself: "I realized that we accept the love we think we deserve."
Austin's heart clenched. His throat went dry. She actually believed that? Without thinking, he reached over and gently took her hand in his.
"Sabrina," he said. "You deserve to be someone's first choice. You deserve to be cherished, not tolerated. Not kept at arm's length. Chosen. Not settled for."
Sabrina's head dipped. Her cheeks turned a deep crimson, but she didn't pull her hand away. She squeezed his fingers instead. They drifted in silence, letting the water carry them... not needing words. Just warmth.
Peace never lasted long. But this moment was perfect.
Later, as the gondola bumped gently against the dock, Austin climbed out first and held out a hand.
Sabrina looked like she didn't want to move. She clutched the edge of the seat, watching the moonlight shimmer over the canal.
"I'd like to stay on the water a little longer," she murmured. "This… this was nice. Thank you."
"I'm glad you had fun." He offered a quiet smile. "I hope you find even better dates in the future."
She blinked, startled. "Wait, do you… do you want to go on a second one?"
Austin rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. You and I have a lot to deal with. I'll probably be leaving Cerulean soon. Continuing my journey."
Sabrina raised her hand, and a faint pink glow hovered around the Pokédex on his hip. It floated gently into her hand as she typed something in. "If you ever have the time… call me," she said, handing it back.
Austin took it, their fingers brushing. "I will," he said softly.
She nodded. "Goodbye, Austin."
He turned to leave, walking up the path, the night air brushing against his cheeks.
Behind him, Sabrina stood in the quiet. Watching.
Her fingers tightened slightly over her chest. She could've looked into his mind. Could've found the answers whether he really liked her, whether he saw her as anything more. But she didn't. Because trust was rare.
"I deserve to be someone's first choice," she whispered, repeating his words like a mantra. "To be cherished. To be chosen."
From the pocket of her hoodie, the little crystal Austin had won for her glinted beneath the moonlight, casting soft violet hues across her palm. Sabrina held it like it might vanish if she let go; not just a prize, but a reminder that someone had chosen something just for her. She wiped her cheeks, the tears still falling despite the small laugh that bubbled out of her. It was quiet, breathless and the kind of laugh that comes after holding too much in for too long.
"Stupid boy," she muttered, voice shaking. "Making me cry over some cheap crystal."
But it wasn't cheap. Not to her.
She could still feel the warmth of his hand in hers, still hear the way he said her name like it meant something. And for the first time in what felt like forever, the constant buzz of thoughts in her head had gone silent. Not because she forced it quiet. But because she felt safe.
Clutching the necklace to her chest, Sabrina tilted her head back and stared at the stars. The night sky blurred with the last of her tears, the world softening at the edges.
"See you soon, Austin," she whispered, barely loud enough for the wind to catch.