Pokémon Center.
Ash and his two companions did not stay at the Saffron Gym.
Instead, they returned to the Pokémon Center to rest.
After all, the pressure of being around Sabrina was still a bit too intense.
Everyone returned to their respective rooms.
Just as Ash closed his door, before he even had time to digest this series of shocks, the Pokédex in his pocket began to ring rapidly.
The familiar face of Professor Oak appeared on the screen.
"..." Professor Oak's expression seemed somewhat conflicted.
He hesitated for a moment.
Finally, he spoke.
"Originally, I didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing..."
"...But the League is making such a racket, so I have to say a few words."
Professor Oak fell silent for a moment.
In fact, League Headquarters had received a vacation application from Sabrina.
Well.
Rather than an application, it was more of a notification.
Sabrina was just that arrogant.
It just so happened that she was also the League's elite talent, the world's strongest Psychic. Whether it was the Chairman or the heads of various administrative departments, none of them could make any overly forceful demands of Sabrina.
She was a precious asset that had to be enshrined.
Professor Oak brewed his emotions for a moment.
He mimicked those few old friends who were about to die of anxiety.
"Ash! What on earth did you do in Saffron City?!"
Professor Oak's voice was almost a roar, filled with disbelief and shock.
This was also the chaotic emotion he was imitating from the meeting.
Strictly speaking, this matter was indeed quite huge.
"I just received news, Sabrina she... she announced she is stopping her Future Sight meditation?!"
"This is simply... simply a massive earthquake for the Kanto region!!"
Then, Professor Oak suddenly calmed down.
He became expressionless.
"Anyway, that is the attitude over at the League right now."
"That is roughly the situation."
Was Sabrina going on strike a serious matter?
Of course it was serious!
This could even be described as a massive earthquake in official circles and a huge fluctuation in the economy!
The people responsible for this section of the League, including the Mayor of Saffron City, felt their heads were about to explode.
Unfortunately, no one could do anything about this grandaunt.
Years ago, there were League officials who wanted to meddle and force Sabrina to have a bit more sense of responsibility. The result was that they were turned into dolls.
So for the League, Sabrina skipping work was very severe.
But... for Professor Oak, it actually didn't matter.
It was hilarious; he wasn't the head of the relevant department, so why should he care about this crap?
Moreover, he was already in a semi-retired state.
If this didn't involve Ash, Professor Oak wouldn't have bothered to lift a finger. It was precisely because it involved Ash, and finding that the League had complaints, that Professor Oak took over.
No one had an opinion on this.
You didn't need to care if they had opinions in their hearts.
Anyway, right now, everyone had no objections.
Truly harmonious.
"..." Ash sighed, rubbing his temples which were still throbbing slightly, and organized his words.
"Yada yada yada... and finally, we left."
He informed Professor Oak as concisely as possible about the experience at the Saffron Gym, from being taken away by Teleport, to the battle of wits with Sabrina, and finally Sabrina's announcement.
"That's roughly the situation."
Ash didn't hold back much; he shared ninety-nine percent of the situation.
He skipped over some overly personal details, such as the part about being held and spoon-fed...
There was no need to mention that kind of thing.
Come to think of it, it was shameful enough.
Ash still cared about his dignity.
Anyway, regarding those detailed feelings, saying them or not made no difference.
"..." On the other end of the line, Professor Oak listened with furrowed brows. His expression gradually shifted from initial shock to a complex look mixing a toothache, helplessness, and deep contemplation.
Although Ash didn't explain everything clearly, who was Professor Oak?
He could pretty much fill in the blanks in his brain.
Professor Oak: I always thought you were a talent, kid.
Professor Oak: But I didn't expect you to be this much of a talent.
Professor Oak: Impressive.
"Hiss... You brat..." Professor Oak theatrically sucked in a cold breath, providing full emotional value.
His fingers unconsciously tapped the table.
"Sabrina..."
"She is the cornerstone protecting Saffron City, and even the stability of Kanto's economic lifeline!"
"Who knows how many potential disasters her precognition abilities have resolved in advance."
"Whether it's threats from Pokémon, natural disasters and accidents... or even the conspiracies of certain dark organizations."
"With her letting go like this, the subsequent impact will be massive."
Professor Oak roughly explained the situation; he felt Ash could also see the problems in this regard.
In Professor Oak's view, ever since this kid started traveling, his speed of growth had been astonishing.
Truly a future to look forward to.
As the largest economic center in Kanto, Saffron City's stability was of great concern.
Sabrina's existence was, in itself, a powerful deterrent and safeguard.
With Sabrina there, people and Pokémon who wanted to cause trouble didn't have much of a chance. If Sabrina wasn't there... then there would be a huge intelligence vacuum period.
Even if they used the psychic army to fill in, it wouldn't be that easy.
However, having said that, in Professor Oak's view, it wasn't necessarily completely a bad thing.
After all, Sabrina herself had mental issues.
She was a mental patient in the truest sense.
If the mental problem could be solved... one must know that Sabrina's current psychic power was in a split state. If the two consciousnesses were fully unified, then Sabrina's power would inevitably ascend to a higher level.
Conversely, if Sabrina maintained this state of schizophrenia forever...
If it deteriorated one day.
Then it would be the end.
After all, as much as Saffron City relied on Sabrina's protection now, that was how much damage would be caused the day Sabrina went on a rampage.
So if it could be prevented and put to an end in advance, that would naturally be for the best.
...The current trouble could only be called growing pains.
Professor Oak's tone softened again, and a trace of understanding and relief appeared in his eyes:
"However... from Sabrina's personal perspective, if this is really her untying the knot in her heart... then perhaps, it might not be a bad thing."
Professor Oak's gaze became somewhat distant, as if recalling something.
"Ash."
"You have to know, every generation has its own legends, and the 'favored children of heaven' who attract all the attention of that era."
"If we calculate a generation as ten years... Sabrina, without a doubt, was one of the most dazzling and awe-inspiring peaks of that generation."
"Her psychic talent is something rarely seen in a thousand years."
"But precisely because of this overly powerful strength, the loneliness she endured and the responsibility she shouldered were far beyond that of ordinary people."
"She has trapped herself in the cage of precognition for too long..."
"Now that she is willing to break it with her own hands, whether because of your words or a thought that had long sprouted within her, this requires immense courage."
Professor Oak looked at Ash.
There was gratification, expectation, and conflict in his eyes... there were too many inexplicable meanings, looking like a protractor.
"The waves of the era are always pushing forward."
"The legends of the past choosing to change perhaps also foreshadows that new storms and opportunities are coming."
Speaking of this, Professor Oak thought not only of Sabrina but even more so of Giovanni.
"You brat... unwittingly, you've been swept into the center of something incredible again."
Professor Oak shook his head, a helpless bitter smile revealing itself on his face.
"Anyway, it probably won't be too peaceful here for the coming period."
"Sabrina's 'letting go' is undoubtedly a signal to certain guys hibernating in the dark."
"Please be sure to be even more careful from now on."
"Leave the League side to me... they won't come to trouble you."
Professor Oak didn't intend to manage too much.
Unless the entire League was in imminent danger, he wouldn't interfere casually.
He used to have a lot of dissatisfaction with the League, but the more he managed, the more he found the situation was rotten.
In the end, it all came down to the human heart.
The human heart is difficult to measure.
Hearts are separated by bellies, hearts differ from one another, and everyone's thoughts have minute differences. So as long as the general direction is correct, that is enough.
After all, under the greater good, self-interest still exists.
The greater good and self-interest do not completely conflict.
Self-interest within the scope of the greater good is acceptable.
Since that's the case, it's better to let human hearts grind against each other... the adaptable survive, the unadaptable are eliminated.
The world will always give the world's answer.
Life will always find its own way out.
And Professor Oak felt that he only needed to manage the overall macro view; as long as it was benign development, it was acceptable.
Samuel Oak no longer had the radicalism of his youth.
He chose to retire at the peak of his career.
The current Professor Oak was very steady.
Ultimately, youth does not return; he is already old.
Professor Oak had actually considered whether to pursue eternal youth and immortality...
This world could indeed achieve such things; it was just that the difficulty was relatively high.
But the conclusion he finally pondered out was—if he lived too long, there was a high probability he would become the League's greatest enemy.
Obstinate old things are the greatest obstacle to the progress of the times.
Young people can't cause too much destruction.
Each generation has that generation's mission.
Everyone does what they should do.
Complete one's own mission.
Leave the rest to future generations.
Professor Oak thought of those students he had cultivated, who had one by one become pillars of their respective industries.
Professor Elm, who specialized in 'Breeding Problems', Professor Hale, who specialized in 'Unknown Totem', and so on.
After the call ended.
Ash held the Pokédex, speechless for a long time.
Outside the window, the neon lights of Saffron City still flickered.
But beneath that sky, it seemed something had quietly changed.
Ash noticed a sentence Professor Oak had just mentioned—[Whether it's threats from Pokémon, natural disasters and accidents... or even the conspiracies of certain dark organizations.]
Simply put... within both Humans and Pokémon, there exist problem groups.
Ash touched the Poké Balls at his waist, feeling the warm fluctuations transmitted by the partners inside.
Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, giving a "Pika" sound, carrying firm support.
And Misdreavus floated to the side; although she still held great "hostility" toward Sabrina, at this moment she clung tighter to Ash, as if declaring sovereignty.
Anyway, no matter what problems arise.
Face them!
Even if you run away, the problems won't disappear.
____
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