Click—
Before Paul could react, the large doors in front of him swung open on their own, revealing a vast empty battlefield.
At the far end of the room sat a woman on a throne-like structure, elevated and regal.
She wore a crimson trench coat, her dark green hair cascading around a sharp, elegant face. Her expression was cool and unreadable. In her arms, she cradled a sleek, feline Pokémon—its fur a delicate lavender, a forked tail trailing behind, and a crimson gem embedded in its forehead.
It was none other than Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader, and her Espeon.
As Paul stepped inside, Sabrina gently stroked Espeon's fur. Only then did she lift her gaze to truly acknowledge his presence.
"Miss Sabrina, I'm Paul from Veilstone City. I came here specifically to request a battle with you."
Paul stood tall, his eyes meeting hers across the room.
Sabrina gave Espeon a soft pat on the back.
"Esp~"
Espeon let out a catlike yawn, stretching lazily before leaping gracefully from her lap and landing beside her, its eyes casually appraising Paul.
"Well, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
As she spoke, Sabrina rose slowly to her feet. Then, with Espeon at her side, she vanished from her throne—reappearing an instant later at the far end of the battlefield.
Her expression had softened. What was once glacial now held a trace of warmth, as if a frozen river had begun to melt.
"You've been… waiting for me?"
A flicker of confusion passed through Paul's eyes.
Sure, he had scheduled the Gym challenge. But "waiting a long time" felt like an odd way to put it. They had never met before.
"My father said you were special. I believe that too."
Sabrina's tone was solemn, and a strange light shimmered in her eyes.
"The moment you set foot near Saffron City, I could feel it. Something about you was… different. Not even Red or Ash gave me that sensation."
"…"
Paul didn't answer.
He was special. That much he knew.
A world-walker. Chosen by Mesprit. One who had awakened the power of aura and psychic energy. And perhaps—perhaps—he could be considered someone chosen by Arceus itself.
These titles weren't exactly something you advertised. But when put together, maybe they explained why Sabrina sensed something unusual.
Still… the title of Arceus' chosen one came after he began his journey. Back when Sabrina's father had met him, he had only just crossed over into this world. Nothing more than an outsider.
Could it be… that being a world-walker heightened his soul's resonance? Gave him a stronger innate potential for psychic power?
That seemed… unlikely.
In any case, he didn't have a clear answer.
"Come out, Alakazam."
Unbothered by Paul's silence, Sabrina extended her hand. A Poké Ball materialized in midair and launched forward with a flash.
"Zaaam!"
The capsule burst open, revealing a yellow foxlike Pokémon clad in armor-like plating. In each of its hands, it held a silver spoon, glinting with psychic energy.
"Send out your Pokémon," she said calmly. "I'll give you everything I've got!"
As she spoke, bright light flared in Sabrina's eyes. A terrifying wave of psychic power surged outward, instantly linking her consciousness with Alakazam, her longtime partner in perfect mental sync. A radiant white glow enveloped the Pokémon's body.
Mega Evolution!
Alakazam's form transformed. The golden armor-like plating on his limbs was replaced by flowing violet robes, giving him the appearance of a sage. A crimson crystal emerged at the center of his forehead, while his once-yellow beard turned pale and grew long, sweeping past his chest.
His feet merged, hovering above the ground through the sheer force of telekinesis. The number of spoons he controlled increased to five, now floating in orbit around him, no longer held in his hands but suspended by pure psychic energy.
Overall, he now resembled a transcendent mage—an enlightened ascetic or Daoist immortal.
This version of Mega Alakazam had sacrificed physical bulk for a near-limitless release of psychic might. His body appeared gaunt, even frail, but the spiritual energy radiating from the crystal in his forehead was dense and oppressive.
This was a stark contrast to the autonomous Mega Evolution that Garchomp had achieved through genetic memory and battle-honed awakening.
Alakazam's Mega Evolution, on the other hand, was the result of Sabrina's formidable psychic talent. By fully analyzing and emulating the evolution process, she bypassed the need for a Key Stone or Mega Stone entirely. She could induce Mega Evolution directly through her psychic bond with her Pokémon.
In essence, Garchomp had evolved through its own willpower, while Alakazam required a trainer's intervention—although one that defied conventional rules by skipping the usual tools.
"Ala...kazam..."
Alakazam floated silently, eyes closed. His mind resonated with Sabrina's, their powers now synchronized and amplified beyond normal limits.
"That kind of power..."
Paul narrowed his eyes, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
With Sabrina's amplification, Alakazam already hovering just below Champion-tier—had now surpassed the average Champion's level of strength. Even Cynthia's Garchomp might not come out ahead in a direct clash.
Paul had made a careful swap before coming to the Saffron Gym, selecting the six Pokémon best suited for this match.
"Ninetales, prepare for battle!"
After a moment of consideration, he tossed a Poké Ball into the arena.
"Wooo~!"
With a graceful cry, Ninetales landed on the battlefield. Her elegant, foxlike form glimmered under the lights, and she raised her head proudly, eyes locked on her opponent.
Sabrina issued her first command, her voice sharp and unfeeling:
"Psychic!"
"Zaaam!"
"Wooo!"
In the blink of an eye, Alakazam's eyes blazed with psychic force. A crushing wave of telekinesis slammed downward. In an instant, Ninetales' regal poise was shattered. She collapsed with a pained cry, her nine tails pinned helplessly to the floor by the immense pressure.
When facing a psychic-type opponent of this caliber—especially one going all out, Pokémon of other types could rarely match such overwhelming force.
"Disable!"
Paul shouted without hesitation.
Ninetales lay prone on the ground, forcing its eyes open as it endured the overwhelming pressure and pain. Summoning what little strength remained, it unleashed Disable, targeting Alakazam.
A hit!
Or rather… Alakazam didn't even attempt to dodge or block.
Disable connected—but the situation didn't improve for Ninetales in the slightest. Psychic had been locked, yes, but Alakazam transitioned effortlessly into Telekinesis, maintaining uninterrupted control and slamming Ninetales back down with terrifying precision.
"Wooo~!"
Under Alakazam's overwhelming psychic pressure, every pore on Ninetales' body felt like it was suffocating, every bone trembling and wailing in agony. The pain was unbearable.
It was clear that Alakazam could end the battle at any moment—but instead, it chose not to. Like a frog slowly boiling in warm water, it continued inflicting pain, escalating the torment bit by bit.
Against such a powerful Psychic-type, Ninetales' own psychic abilities—normally a source of pride were rendered completely useless. No matter how hard it tried to retaliate with Extrasensory, it remained pinned and immobilized.
Then Paul's voice rang out again.
"Fire Blast!"
"Wooo~!"
With no hesitation, Ninetales gathered every last ounce of its strength into its mouth. Flames surged along its body, igniting its Flash Fire ability as it concentrated its power into a final attack.
A blazing shaped inferno erupted from its mouth, a beacon of fire against the oppressive darkness.
But under Sabrina's command and Alakazam's immense psychic power, the flames were instantly dismantled.
"Psyshock."
As soon as Sabrina spoke, a surge of tangible, almost physical psychic force burst forth from Alakazam's body. In an instant, it shattered the Fire Blast like brittle glass, its fragments sparkling like dying fireworks.
BOOM!
The detonation stunned Ninetales momentarily, freezing it in place before triggering an even more desperate struggle.
"Wooo~!"
Still caught in Alakazam's telekinetic grip, Ninetales thrashed wildly, trying to ignite its own psychic and fire powers like fuel, hoping to combust into one final explosive burst to break free.
Again and again it tried…
But eventually, that once-bright flame flickered out.
The glow in Alakazam's eyes dimmed. The Telekinesis faded, and Ninetales collapsed motionless onto the floor.
"Return."
Paul recalled Ninetales into its Poké Ball.
A single thought echoed in his mind:
In the face of absolute power, no strategy or trick is worth anything. If it works, then that power simply wasn't absolute enough.
Sabrina and her Alakazam might not rival Cynthia and her Garchomp, but against any Pokémon below Champion-tier, they were undeniably the superior force.
They didn't even need to move.
Their psychic power alone was enough to completely dominate the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)
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