"It's fine. I can still handle it."
Ash smiled at Cynthia in response to her concern, then deactivated Suzano. In truth, his Mangekyō Sharingan was nearing its limit.
Ever since awakening these eyes, he'd used them far too often—especially Tsukuyomi, which he had been using to help his companions train within the illusion. But the overuse had taken a toll—his vision had declined more than he'd expected.
At this point, Suzano could only be activated once more. Ash had even started considering testing Izanagi, a forbidden ocular jutsu. If it worked, it would give him a one-time get-out-of-death card. But if it failed… he'd lose his sight in that eye permanently.
"You're having problems with your eyes?"
Sabrina, who had been observing them from across the field, finally spoke. Her tone remained as cold and inhuman as always, but her words held a faint trace of concern.
"It has nothing to do with you," Ash said curtly. "I'm just here to earn the Saffron City Gym badge."
Clearly irritated, he didn't even bother hiding his disdain. He wasn't in the mood to play nice with her.
"Hmph! Then let's play by my rules. One-on-one battle. If you win, you get the badge. But if I win… you become my doll—or take me with you on your journey."
Sabrina's lips curled in a sly smirk.
Ash blinked. That condition definitely wasn't standard. Looking at her, he could tell—she wasn't joking.
"You want to travel? Why not go out on your own? Why tie yourself to me? I don't remember you ever having this rule for previous challengers," he asked, suspicious.
"Do you think I'd want to travel with trash?" Sabrina scoffed with contempt.
Ash's response was instant. "Then forget it. I'm not agreeing to those terms. I have zero interest in traveling with you."
To him, Sabrina's unstable powers were still a time bomb. Sure, he now had ways to suppress them—but every time required activating his Sharingan. That was a heavy price, even if he had a stock of Full Restore Capsules. His eyes wouldn't last.
He knew what happened back when they were kids wasn't entirely her fault—Delia had been caught in the blast of a runaway psychic surge. But that didn't mean he'd let someone dangerous anywhere near his loved ones again.
Delia might not be with him now, but Cynthia was. Ash hadn't said anything outright, but that didn't mean he didn't care deeply for her. He wasn't willing to take that risk.
"I know what you're thinking," Sabrina said, her voice rising slightly. "I've changed. My powers haven't gone out of control in years—and I apologized! Your mother forgave me! Why can't you?! Is that woman next to you really more important than me?!"
Her tone cracked with emotion. The truth was—Sabrina had been waiting all these years in Saffron City precisely for Ash. She knew he'd become strong enough to challenge her one day.
Among all the men she'd ever met, only Ash made her feel at peace. When she was near him, her psychic powers naturally stabilized. It was something she'd discovered as a child, right after she apologized to him.
She never told him back then. Their relationship was rocky, and as kids, pride always got in the way.
"Hi," Cynthia suddenly stepped forward, cool and composed. "I'm Cynthia. Ash's fiancée. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but clearly—Ash doesn't want to travel with you."
Maybe it was instinct, or pride as a woman, but Cynthia couldn't back down. Something in Sabrina's earlier tone rubbed her the wrong way—made her feel provoked.
Sabrina's expression instantly darkened.
"This doesn't concern you! I knew him long before you did! I understand him better than you ever could! You're just a latecomer!"
Her eyes turned an ominous shade of blue—the precursor to her unleashing her psychic abilities.
"Sabrina!!!"
Ash shouted, his voice like a whip crack. His eyes locked onto hers—icy, sharp, filled with warning.
Sabrina flinched instinctively. Just like back then.
And just like that… the pressure vanished. Her powers retracted.
Ash let out a breath. Though Cynthia was the Champion, her true strength wasn't at that level yet. She had the potential, the spirit, but in terms of raw power… if Sabrina had attacked, Cynthia might not have withstood it.
"You refuse my condition," Sabrina said bitterly, her voice trembling with jealousy. "Then I refuse to accept your Gym challenge!"
Her eyes burned with something deeper than rage. Despite her cold exterior, Ash meant more to her than even her own parents ever did.
Only three people in the world understood this: Sabrina, Delia, and Professor Oak.
No one else could comprehend what Ash truly meant to her.
"What was that just now…?"
Ash frowned as a strange image flickered through his mind. A flash of memory—something familiar in the look Sabrina just gave him. But it disappeared in an instant before he could grasp it.
And just like that… the silence returned.
Back then—after Ash first arrived in this world—he experienced a brief bout of amnesia. Just one day, but it was enough to blur the details of many things. During that time, Sabrina's apology hadn't meant much to him. His focus had shifted completely to training.
He spent his days deep in the forest, honing his skills atop a cliff near a colony of Onix and Graveler.
One day, Sabrina came to apologize once again. But after failing to gain his attention, she turned to leave—only for her psychic powers to go berserk.
The surge of uncontrolled energy struck both a nearby Onix and a Graveler. Furious, the Pokémon launched a coordinated assault in retaliation.
(The cliché trope: Sabrina's affection for Ash didn't really have a clear origin… so let's roll with the "saved me when I was in danger" classic.)
The sudden outburst of battle energy stirred the entire area, catching Ash's attention from the cliffs above. He frowned the moment he saw what was happening.
Sabrina's psychic outbursts typically lasted around a minute. While the initial force could repel most threats, the second it wore off, she'd be left vulnerable—and when that happened, she'd be surrounded by enraged wild Pokémon.
Ash didn't like her. Not after what happened with Delia. But even so… he wasn't heartless.
He couldn't just let her die.
So he crouched behind a large boulder, waiting for the right moment.
Sure enough, as her power flickered out, Sabrina collapsed to her knees. She hadn't blacked out yet, but her strength was gone. She knew it too. And she could sense the Pokémon around her—Onix, Graveler—closing in.
They weren't acting out of cruelty. She had hurt them. Again.
Just like she'd hurt so many others in her life.
People. Pokémon. Even family.
And now Ash wouldn't even look at her. Wouldn't speak to her. Wouldn't acknowledge her.
At that moment, something broke inside her.
Maybe it'd be better if this all ended here.
Maybe it'd be better if she just disappeared.
"Rooooar!!"
Just as the nearest Onix raised its tail to strike—
Ash moved.
He dashed out from behind the rock, scooped up Sabrina in one clean motion, and bolted straight into the forest without a word.
She barely even registered what happened.
One second, she was staring down death.
The next, she was cradled in his arms, flying past trees, her mind clouded by confusion, fatigue… and something else entirely.
Warmth.
...
TN:
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