Supplements for the Heart

by stringdog

Not all events can make it into the main story. Some just don't fit or add enough to the plot to merit inclusion. This doesn't mean that they shouldn't be told. Here is a collection of events that occur during 'Dreams Come From the Heart' that didn't make the cut but do supplement the series in some way. A fun, lighthearted, pearlshipping collection set during the Hearts Series.

9. The Psychic's Journey

Here is the ninth Supplement for the Heart, released at the right time in the Heart Series timeline. The events of this Supplement take place a few hours after the events of Part XXXII. This Supplement wasn't actually planned but following the reviews of Part XXXII where I asked for y'alls opinion on whether or not I should write it there was enough support to do so. It took 4 days starting from scratch to produce the longest single piece to date within the Heart Series Universe (a record that will be broken by Part XXXVIII) but here it is. Because of the desire for this one I have added another Supplement that is similar in nature for after Ash and Erika's battle that will be released after Part XXXIX though that will be much more lighthearted than this one. I will preface this by saying that this Supplement is unlike the others and the nature of the Supplement in general as it is not a lighthearted or fun Supplement but a serious and heavy one that wasn't easy to write and I apologize if I don't do the subject the justice it deserves. This Supplement is, as I said it would be, Ash, Dawn and Sabrina hanging out after Ash and Sabrina's battle and deals with Sabrina's journey in the years between seeing Ash and how she sees her powers and all that so it is deep and if you do not wish to read it for this reason then I respect that and promise you that the next Supplement will be much better and have a requested character from the show in it. So with that done I will not answer any questions here and simple say brace yourself for the latest Supplement for the Heart: The Psychic's Journey.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

The Psychic's Journey

Ash and Dawn met up with Sabrina outside the Saffron Gym for the second time today, only this time they weren't here to battle, they were here to get to know the gym leader better and spend the night. Sabrina had invited them to stay at the gym and they had agreed so now they were here with their things and looking forward to enjoying a quiet evening with the psychic in her gym. It was time to get to know another person who Ash had once saved.

After their long, hard, and epic full battle, Sabrina had joined them in walking back to the Pokémon Center to get their Pokémon healed up and to tell them about the situation in Lavender Town. There wasn't much to tell but Sabrina explained that there had been odd goings on in the town, well odder than what usually went on in Lavender Town.

Over the last few years apparently the place had become progressively more malevolent and colder. It was already a somber and quiet place but this was different, it was as if something was permeating the town with an angry essence causing the place to become uneasy in a way no one could quite place.

Everything seemed to come from the town's famous Pokémon Tower. In the last year or so many trainers had gone to check it out but all had fled in fear and wouldn't speak of what happened other than that whatever was going on there was not natural. It was odd but also intriguing to Ash and his sense of adventure ensured that he wanted to solve it.

Sabrina had asked several trainers who had impressed her in their battles to check it out but they either didn't give her a straight answer or failed to reported back to her so she was now asking Ash to look into it. She would have done so herself but Lavender Town was known as a haven for ghost types and other than her Haunter, Sabrina did not get on well with the type given their advantage over psychic types. Ash and Dawn had already planned on going there so they didn't mind checking it out for Sabrina.

That was what they had spoken about on the way to the Pokémon Center, all the while Sabrina was politely greeting anyone who said hi to her along the way. Apparently since her return Sabrina had taken a larger role in the city in some regards and was being more social but cautious at the same time given her powers, their drawbacks, and how some would respond to it.

As such they took a little longer than expected to reach the Pokémon Center than normal but as soon as they did they dropped off their Pokémon with Nurse Joy for healing, Sabrina bid them farewell until later in the day as she still had things to do at the gym. Her Pokémon were registered to the gym so Nurse Joy would simply transfer them back to the gym once they were ready in a few hours.

Ash and Dawn had decided to use their few hours off to enjoy some time alone. Ash had already asked for 3 of his Pokémon to be transferred back to Pallet Town in exchange for 3 of the ones he would use against Erika as soon as the recently used ones were healed. That way he would be ready to start training with them as soon as they left Saffron City.

The Pokémon Ash was keeping were Pikachu and Dratini as they were now on his permanent team for the year as well as keeping Krookodile for Lavender Town as his dark typing might come in handy with the ghost types out there. When they were done in Lavender Town Ash would send him back to Pallet Town in exchange for Donphan but not until after they had thoroughly investigated the goings on in the spooky town.

With that done, Ash and Dawn had gotten a large lunch that Ash had needed and wolfed down after his battle and then retired their room. Dawn had returned Piplup to his Poke Ball, much to his chagrin at the insult of being in his ball and not about to compete in a Contest, and they had enjoyed a rare moment of full privacy for some afternoon adult fun before Ash almost immediately passed out when he was done. Dawn didn't complain as she snuggled up with him and doze on his chest, he had had a long day and needed a nap.

They had woken up an hour ago, quickly showered, gotten dressed, packed up and headed out. The only real difference to earlier was that Dawn in her usual outfit now with her new locket on prime display for the world to see while Pikachu and Piplup took their usual perches on their trainers. They had picked up Ash's Pokémon on the way out and headed straight to the Saffron Gym. Ash had sent a message to Sabrina as they were leaving the Pokémon Center telling her that they were on their way which was probably why she was now outside waiting for them.

There was one change however, Sabrina, like Dawn, was in a new outfit. The gym leader had gone for an odd black and red dress, black tights and green boots. The dress, like with the tunic earlier, was what caught Dawn's eye. It had black sleeves that extended just passed Sabrina's elbows, a red body with a high choker collar, and fell just below her ass with a deep cut up the sides from the hem to her hip.

She completed the look with a black belt thing around her abdomen that went from her waist to just below her modest bust and had an X pattern across her stomach though Dawn wasn't sure if it was a belt or actually part of the dress, it was hard to tell. The last part of the change was that Sabrina had restyled her hair into a gelled whip rather than being loose down her back like before.

As with her other outfit it was not a usual style but Dawn had to admit that the odd style suited the psychic well. Sabrina was a unique woman due to her powers and her style seemed to reflect that uniqueness. She smiled at them as they approached and Dawn noticed that Sabrina was evaluating Dawn's outfit change just as much as she was evaluating Sabrina's. Ash of course was not but he didn't notice these things.

"Somehow that outfit looks even cuter than your cheerleader one Dawn." Sabrina said kindly as they reached her and she surprised both of them with a hug despite only seeing them hours before. "It's more innocent I think, more to your personality. Not that the cheerleader get up didn't work, it did in the situation, but this just strikes me as more you if that makes sense."

"Thanks." Dawn said with a light blush at Sabrina's compliment and knowing it wasn't about attraction at all, Sabrina was just noticing how well Dawn's outfit complemented her personality. "Your outfit is different as well, it's just as unusual as before. It works for you, really well in fact. I doubt that anyone else could pull it off."

"Thank you." Sabrina said with a light smile at Dawn as Ash was completely clueless to the whole exchange, he didn't notice things like that. "This is my, I guess you could call it civilian outfit. I wear the fancier tunic getup for gym battles as that is what I wore before my hiatus and it felt right to return to it as a way of reclaiming my position and power over my past self. This is what I wear when I'm not battling. It is what I wore while I was traveling and it has become a source of comfort for me in a sense as it represents the woman I became and whatever I was before."

"I get that." Ash said finally able to talk on the subject. "I always wear a few things when I travel, it just makes it feel so much better as they are comforting. The styles change but I will always wear a hat and gloves."

"That it does." Sabrina said agreeing with Ash even if he was slightly off point. "Now shall we go in; I can show you to your room and then we can have some tea and chat. My mother is preparing dinner so we have a little while before its time to eat. She insisted on it after learning you were staying."

"Lead the way." Ash said as they entered the gym again. "This is your place so we will follow you Sabrina."

Once again, rather than stay in the gym's main level, Sabrina led them to the underground complex. That was surprising and Dawn couldn't help but asking about it as she had been expecting the residential part to be in the main body of the building.

"Sabrina, if you don't mind, why are we not using the main building?" Dawn asked. "We were down here for the battle earlier so I am a little confused as to the purpose of the actual building."

"Oh that's because it isn't used for living, never has been as far as I am aware." Sabrina said as if it was normal. "Back when my dad took over as the gym leader, before I was born this is, the gym had been built as like this and he decided not to change it. The underground portion contains the living suite and the battlefield while the main building is used for training, teaching and general meetings."

"I see." Dawn said still trying to understand it. "And you continued to keep it that way?"

"Made the most sense at the time so why change it." Sabrina said as she led them into the maze of underground tunnels. "Saved my parents getting a house here as we are entitled to live in the residence due to first my father's and now my status as the gym leader and meant we could use the building as we see fit. These days it is where I teach my student, both the aspiring psychic type specialists and the psychics themselves, as well as train and play with my Pokémon. It also has a meeting hall that has many general purposes."

"Meeting hall?" Ash asked confused. "Why would it need that? Most gyms I have been to tend to use the buildings for either teaching or the personal pursuits of the leader, or in Unova some other public purpose but that is just the preference over there."

"Well the hall is used for various public and private meetings." Sabrina said as if it was obvious. "While I have final say over when it can be used as I control the schedule here, the building is still owned by the Pokémon League and as such the hall can be rented out for a fee. The city often uses it for public meetings on policy while various groups and organizations use it as well. Some get priority when there is a conflict but for the most part there aren't problems. I even use it once a month as well."

"You do?" Dawn asked curiously. "What for."

"I run a weekly meeting called Obsession Anonymous for people like me." Sabrina said which caused both Ash and Dawn to stop and look at Sabrina in confusion so she continued as they quickly caught up to her as they were nearing the guest quarters. "It's like the other more notable anonymous programs for alcoholics, gamblers, or drug addicts only this one is tailored for those with different types of addictions that don't necessarily get as much attention and aren't exactly things that can be given up for various reasons."

"You compared yourself to an addict earlier back when I asked if you were better." Ash said recalling their meeting outside the gym before the battle. "But it's more, isn't it? You actually consider yourself to be an addict, don't you?"

"Astute Ash." Sabrina said, an adjective that Dawn had never heard, or thought she would hear, used to describe her boyfriend before. "I do consider myself one because, well, I am one given the fact that I fit the definition of one. I am an addict and my drug was my own power. But I will explain more in a moment, please drop your stuff off and we will adjourn to the tea room."

Ash and Dawn just nodded and entered the guest quarters both a little surprised at how calm and open Sabrina was being about her struggles with her own powers. It had been startling earlier to hear it but it seemed that Sabrina had no issues discussing her past in even greater detail. If they were being honest they were both curious about it and Sabrina's travels. Still, that would wait as they entered the room.

It was a simple room with a carpet, wallpaper, a comfortable looking double bed, chest of drawers, desk, chair, and attached bathroom. If it wasn't for the lack of a window Ash would have forgotten that they were underground. Quickly they put their bags on the bed and left, Pikachu and Piplup still in their respective positions.

"I am a little surprised that we get to share a bed." Dawn said as they left and continued towards whatever the tea room was. "I'm not complaining mind you, I'm just surprised."

"Well you two are a couple and both of legal age here." Sabrina pointed out. "So I figured why restrict you and add more work for myself when you leave. This works out best for all of us."

"You would be surprised how much work a petty chick will go through to annoy me." Dawn muttered but no one heard her as they entered the tea room and Ash gasped.

Dawn snapped out of her mumblings about Misty's pettiness and looked around the room. Dawn was a little surprised and confused at it. It was basically a kids playroom with a large dollhouse, shelves, books and other things that Dawn would expect to find in a girl's playroom. It wasn't what Dawn thought of when she heard tea room. The only thing that was out of place was the adult sized table for four in the center with a full and ready tea set on it.

Dawn looked at Ash and noticed he was staring wide eyed at a shelf so Dawn looked at it what Ash was looking at and jumped slightly. On the shelf was a small, very life-like, doll in a white dress, matching sun har with a reddish bow on it that shaded its eyes and long green hair.

"Sabrina…" Ash began as she led them to table and they sat down, Ash making sure his back was to the doll while Pikachu and Piplup jumping off them to play in the room, respectfully of course. "Is that?"

"Yes that is the doll that I used to speak through back before you and Haunter reunited my mind and saved me from myself." Sabrina said with a pained smile. "And that is the doll house where I trapped my mother and your friends after turning them into dolls when I was at my worst. I just couldn't get rid of them as I did love them growing up so instead I use them for my own mental health. They are a reminder to me of my darkest days and how badly I want to avoid relapsing to those days. In fact when I traveled I took my doll with me as a permanent reminder of what I was trying to get control of."

"That makes sense, I guess." Ash said as Sabrina served them the hot tea and they began to relax a little though it was clear that Ash was still a little tense after his past experiences. "So it is all part of your healing process."

"Yup, anything I can do to maintain the control and balance I need to be in command of my powers I do." Sabrina said with a nod. "Which brings us back to the meetings I hold, you wanted to know more about them I take it."

"Yes." Ash and Dawn said together before Dawn added. "Only if you are comfortable talking about it that is. Neither of us have really encountered that side of life, let alone meet anyone who are open about this kinda thing so I for one am curious."

"I don't mind at all." Sabrina said dismissively as she took a sip of the warm tea. "Honestly I actually wish more could be open like me but I understand how hard it is to be open and the stigma that unfairly comes with it, it was why I wasn't open about until I got back to Saffron. I will of course honor the anonymous part of the program but I will be open with you about myself as I am with everyone who asks. In my years since returning I have been vocal about the need for addiction and mental health support and encouraging people who need it to seek it. Those who do have their own ways of addressing it, this is my way now that I have control, or at least enough to function normally."

"I can see how that would help people realize that there is no problem in seeking help when you need it the most." Dawn said realizing what Sabrina was doing with her openness. "As a gym leader you are a public figure with authority and respect, if you can acknowledge your problems and seek help then it shows that even people in your position need it so it can't be a bad thing."

"Exactly and it has done wonders for many people who have sought help after hearing my story." Sabrina said glad that Dawn was understanding. "I needed help when I was at my darkest and didn't know it. Ash was the one who got me to realize that I had a problem and I needed to get help. Now that I have that stability, I pay it back to those who still need to find it."

"I was just being a stubborn trainer who really wanted to earn the Marsh Badge." Ash said nervously still not comfortable with Sabrina's praise but accepting it nonetheless as it was clear that Sabrina credited him with her own psychological improvement. "I am glad I could help though. I doubt the meetings were me though, I just brought Haunter here and he did the rest."

"No they weren't you that is true, for those I thank Lady Olympia." Sabrina said. "I will talk about her influence in a moment as I know you will want to hear about my journey and as I want to hear about both of yours it is only fair I start with mine. However this part is tied to the meetings so I can address it now."

"Ok I think we can follow." Dawn said and Ash nodded in agreement. "So what did Olympia do?"

"Well it was about a month into my time with Olympia when she suggested I attend a narcotics anonymous meeting in a small town near Anistar City." Sabrina explained. "She did so after my description of my abuse of power sounded like drug abuse to her and she had counseled addicts in the past as her powers helped get them through withdrawal so she knew. I was hesitant at first but she insisted that I would benefit from them. I was there to learn from her so I listened to her advice and went."

"And it worked?" Dawn asked her tea ignored as she paid full attention to Sabrina's story.

"More than I thought possible though my expectations weren't high at the start." Sabrina said as she reached into her belt and pulled out a small disk with a fancy design on it that neither teen understood and held it up to them. "I got this at my first meeting and since then I keep it on me at all times to remind me how far I have come. While my own addiction is different in a way as it is part of me rather than something I take because I can't exactly be sober per se but I can now use it correctly. Still, that doesn't mean that my abuse of it wasn't unlike abusing alcohol or a drug."

"How so?" Ash asked as he sipped the cooling tea, it wasn't to his taste but it gave him something to do as he listened. "Neither of us have taken those substances so we don't really know how your powers are similar to them."

"As I explained it to Olympia it started as fun and enjoyable, it was a power that was part of me and made me happy when I was a child." Sabrina said thinking back on how she ended up abusing her abilities. "But over time, as I began to become obsessed with growing and improving it. I began to need it, to crave it and to want to use it as much as possible. By the time I was a teen I had to use it daily to function until without stress or headaches. Finally I reached the tipping point and I could no longer control it, it had control of me."

"That sounds awful." Dawn said her eyes wide in horror. "And for you to go through it at such a young age it must have been even worse."

"It was." Sabrina said sadly. "I was too young to be messing with powers of that magnitude. I was nowhere near mentally developed enough to handle it, that is why my mind split and I was whatever the fuck I was when you met me Ash. It wasn't until after I was reunited, snapping out of that mental state and stopped using the powers that I realized how much I wanted to use them again. The longer I didn't use them, the more I felt like I needed them but again more on that when I talk about my meeting with Olympia as that is when I really had to deal with it. All of this is was why it was like a drug; I was dependent on them to function back then."

"Oh I get it." Dawn said still horrified as she had had the drugs talk with her mom once but it was very different coming from someone who had actually struggled with something like it. "Or at least I think I do."

"It is hard to get it unless you experience it." Sabrina said honestly. "It is something you have to have to understand but thank you for trying."

"Well this is helping." Dawn said and Ash agreed, hearing Sabrina's story did help put the whole thing in context for him. "I can at least see how your powers were like a drug and how you struggled with them."

"Yeah, it wasn't fun and as I said, with me it was different as I can't get rid of my powers, they are a part of me and will always be there." Sabrina said. "I was so young when I abused them that it really messed with my mind to the point that I still have the cravings to use it. Had I not abused them then maybe I could have avoided this or even been able to use them without the constant need to use them but alas I am paying for my mistakes."

"It's not your fault though." Dawn said reaching out and taking Sabrina's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze that the older woman returned. "You were too young to know and from what you have said no one was able to prevent it. Now though, thanks in no small part to Ash helping you realize you needed help, you can be that person to prevent it from happening to anyone else."

"Thanks Dawn." Sabrina said her eyes swimming slightly as she fought through the pain of her past and didn't let go of the other girl's hand, she would have preferred Ash's but he was too dense and it was much more appropriate with Dawn given their relationship status. "It was going to that first meeting helped me more than anything else in coming to terms with the nature of my powers. I learned so much from the meeting that I continued to go throughout my time in Kalos and spoke of my own problems though not in precise detail. I was still healing then, now that I am as well as I can be I can fully address the nature of my struggles."

"And you used them to help others." Dawn said. "When you got back here and could be open about everything."

"Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms and being in narcotics anonymous was one such inspiration for me." Sabrina said deciding that at least while she was addressing this she would continue to hold Dawn's hand unless the other girl broke the contact, she needed strength to get through all of this even these days. "It was what made me realize the need for a group that has dangerous addictions or addiction like tendencies such as mine but aren't as structured as the main 4 programs."

"Four?" Ash asked a little confused and trying not to be tactless. "You said alcohol, gambling and drugs, what's the fourth?"

"Sex." Sabrina said simply. "Not that I know anything about that, thanks to my own problems and obsessions I am very much still a virgin, in fact I've never even had kissed a guy but that was my own fault. I am actually afraid to have it as I fear that with my own history I may have addiction tendencies. It is why I don't drink, avoid prescription medication unless it is absolutely necessary, and avoid anywhere that encourages gambling. It is why I haven't been to Celadon City in years given the casino there."

"I can see your logic there." Dawn said. "But at least with love don't rule it out because of fear of sex. You don't have to have it to be in a relationship or find the right guy for you. So long as you are honest and he loves you back it shouldn't be a problem."

"That is easy to say Dawn but for someone like me it isn't easy to do." Sabrina said shaking her head. "It is hard to find someone when for the first part of your live you are obsessed with your power to the point that it controls you for years and you forget how to make connections with people, let alone the opposite sex. Then add in the years it has taken me to recover and I am not exactly an expert on the whole dating thing. I am finally at the point where I feel safe enough to try dating if the right guy comes by so in time I may find someone but it isn't a pressing concern for me right now."

"Oh, I, er, guess that makes sense." Ash said, he had a feeling that this was a form of therapy for her so he let her talk and kept asking questions whenever he had one. "So you formed a group to deal with other issues that you felt needed addressing."

"Precisely." Sabrina said with a nod and another sip of her tea. "My addiction is unique, at least that I know of as there has never been another psychic with my level of power but I am sure there will be another case one day an if so I will be there to help. Olympia was the closest so she was the best for me at the time and I am grateful for her but with my situation I realized I was able to help others with less recognized addictions or problems. Hence why I created Obsession Anonymous to cover that deficiency as best I could."

"So what kind of problems do you help out with?" Dawn asked. "I general of course, nothing specific."

"For the most part it is porn or shopping addicts or people with various eating disorders or other destructive obsessions like self-harm but there others with stranger ones who need the help I provide." Sabrina said surprising them with the breadth of what she helped with. "A lot of them are interconnected which helps as I have only really suffered from my own addiction to my power. My main goal is to help these people get control of their lives and have a place to be open about their struggles in a safe, judgment free, setting. It is a form of group therapy and one of the many things I have done over the last few years as part of my own control."

"Well I am glad it works." Ash said and meaning it, he remember how scary Sabrina had been when he had first met her and was happy to see how she'd reclaimed her life in a positive way. "I remember you before and how different you were and I must say this Sabrina is much better."

"Thank you Ash, that means a lot as you knew what I was like." Sabrina said with a light blush but Dawn knew that it wasn't from attraction so wasn't jealous. "You are one of the few people outside my parents I have seen in the last several years who knew me before my recovery so hearing that I have improved is a big boost to me."

"What else do you do?" Dawn asked while Ash shuffled uncomfortably at the compliment. "To keep and maintain your control that is."

"Well one thing I learned when I returned was to have and maintain a strict schedule that didn't put too much stress on myself." Sabrina explained finally releasing Dawn's hand as the tough moment had passed and she felt that it was starting to get a little awkward. "That way I am always too busy to but also spread out enough to not focus on my demons. In an average week I usually spend the mornings taking challengers, the afternoons teaching my various classes, and my evenings either training or if asked speaking to groups about my own struggles and advocating for support systems."

"Sounds hectic." Ash said and Dawn nodded. "How does it all not get to you?"

"Well that is because of the most important thing in my schedule is my mandatory week off a month." Sabrina said. "The second week of every month I take off and do my own thing with no rigid schedule and unless absolutely necessary no power usage. It is usually a mix of meditation, personal care like a spa day, and the monthly meeting. In fact the reason why I couldn't have out battle was that yesterday was my meeting and I will never miss one of those."

"That is understandable." Dawn said glad to have her hand back but ready to reach out for Sabrina again if the woman needed it. "And with the Contest in town a few days ago there is already a lot going on in Saffron at the moment."

"Actually the Contest is always a good thing for me." Sabrina said confusing the couple so she further explained. "Because of my openness about my past struggles the Contest Committee always organizes the Saffron Contest during the second week of a month so that I can take the time off and avoid it and take time for myself. There are still 2 days left in my break actually and I am really enjoying it."

"Oh." Ash said realizing that Sabrina had battled him during her mental health break and feeling bad for distracting. "I'm sorry for interrupting it. Had I known I would have waited until you were ready."

"Nonsense Ash, it actually helps me out to have our battle now." Sabrina said waving her hand. "I rarely battle in my week off unless there is a trainer with special circumstances or there are a lot that particular week, usually my dad serves as acting leader during the week as he has the authority to do so but this was different. You were the boy who saved me, I had to face you and use Haunter in the battle as much for me as you. I wanted to give it my all and fully focus on it and during my week off was the best time for that. It was therapeutic for me to do it this way and it gave me a chance to see just how much you have grown as a trainer."

"I'm glad I could help then." Ash said and Dawn smiled at him and took his hand this time out of love and not out of support as she had with Sabrina, this was the Ash she had fallen in love with.

"You were what I needed to realize that I had messed up and gone too far." Sabrina said. "You, through Haunter, gave me that small handhold that I needed. After you left it was my journey that got me to where I am today but without you all those years ago I shudder to imagine where I would be now. My meetings are my own attempt to give back to people like me and help them regain their own control the way you helped me."

"That's nice of you." Dawn said with a smile. "You are using your own past to help others in need."

"I've been in their shoes, in a way, and I can read their minds so I know what they need to get their lives back in track." Sabrina said. "And they help me just as much as I help them as seeing them recover and regain control shows me that I am doing a good job. I will never be healed from the abuse I did to myself. I will bear this burden and the temptations from it for the rest of my life. It is a constant struggle but I have that control at last and I am sure as shit not letting go of it."

"Well speaking of control." Ash said shifting the topic a little as Sabrina was starting to get a little teary again and wanting her to think of something happier like how she reached the point she was at rather than recall what it was like before. "How did you find it? On your journey that is? When I left you you looked happy and in control but I take it that it didn't last for long."

"Correct it took a lot more work to get to this point." Sabrina said as she finished her tea and topped it off, as well as their half empty cups that they had been sipping throughout even if the tea was only warm at this point. "I guess it is time for my own journey."

"If that's ok." Dawn said quickly. "It was clearly painful and we don't want you to relive it if you don't want to."

"Nonsenses I am proud of it and all I manage to accomplish on it." Sabrina said with a wide smile. "I went on it to get control and in the end I did, or at least enough that I can say I am in control. I love to share it with anyone who asks."

"And I love to hear about people's journeys." Ash said with a smile of his own. "You learn as much from another's path as you do your own. So when did it start?"

"Actually it began only a few days after you left." Sabrina said shocking Ash with how soon it had been. "I knew that my powers were too strong back then and that until our third battle they had the control over me. After that I wanted to be in control. Stupidly I tried to get it on my own and that was when I started to lose it. Thankfully it wasn't like before, I never lost my mind again, but there were plenty of times both before I set off and during my journey were the power almost took me and if not for Haunter I probably would have succumb again."

"So what happened?" Dawn asked both curious and trying to understand what Sabrina had gone through. "That made you realize that you needed to go on your journey that is?"

"Simple, I tried to use some basic telekinesis as a way to ease myself back into my powers and instantly shattered a shelf." Sabrina said with a shudder at the memory. "As soon as I activated my powers they began begging to be used and I desperately wanted to unleash them like before. However I now knew that I couldn't control my powers unless I once again gave myself over to them and I was terrified because I didn't want to do that."

"Understandable after what you had just recovered from." Ash said. "How did you prevent it?"

"At first my dad tried to help but it took Haunter pranking him and making me laugh to break its hold." Sabrina said with a smile at Haunter deciding to burn off half her dad's beard to cheer her up. "Not sure why laughter seems to work but it does and that is the key for me whenever I come close to losing it so Haunter always makes me laugh to get me back to normal. After that I told my dad that I needed help, badly, and that I wasn't sure I could do it alone."

"He was always concerned for you." Ash said remembered how worried Sabrina's father had been back when they had met. "He was happy that your mind was whole again."

"He had the same general power as me just not at my level and he wanted what was best for me." Sabrina said with a smile at the memory of her father's aid back then. "Asking for help was the best thing I could have done. My father knew just who I should go see as he was aware of the other powerful psychics in the world. Ge was the one who told me to go to Anistar City in the Kalos region and see the gym leader there. Olympia was a psychic who the closest he knew to my own level but was older and in perfect control of her abilities so if anyone could help me, she could."

"So you went to her." Ash said and Sabrina nodded.

"Pretty much right away." Sabrina confirmed. "I needed the help right away and I couldn't execute my duties as a gym leader until I had control again so I had to leave. Dad and I filled out the necessary paperwork and I was officially put on a medical leave of absence and he took over until I was ready to resume my duties. Then I changed my outfit into this, dyed my hair jet black, put in special pink contact lenses and left for Kalos. All I had with me was my Kadabra, my bag, my doll, and a wild Haunter who refused to be my Pokémon but also refused to leave my side. I had begun my own journey."

"Why the change?" Dawn asked a little confused. "It seems a little extreme."

"I didn't want to be recognized at the time." Sabrina said with a shrug. "I know that now I am open about my mental health problems and addiction struggles but back then I was just a terrified kid. I hadn't really mentally developed because of my abuse at such a young age and because of my position and abilities I was a known figure in Kanto. As such I wanted to be anonymous so I changed my look."

"You weren't going as a gym leader." Ash said understanding Sabrina's decision. "You were going for other reasons so you changed your look to fit that."

"Correct, I was going to Kalos to seek help from a master and gain control of my abilities." Sabrina said glad that Ash got why she had changed her look. "The moment I left Saffron City I was no longer Sabrina the Saffron City Gym Leader and renowned psychic of unmatched power. I was Sabi, a shy, scared, girl from Kanto with a gift she barely understood, let alone control, and in need help from an expert to prevent losing her mind again."

"Your journey wasn't about who you were here but who you were personally." Dawn said realizing. "I get it now."

"Thai is how it was and how it had to be." Sabrina said smiling at Dawn as she too got her reasoning. "I was going as a private citizen on a journey and kept it that way. Only Olympia knew until I was about to leave but I will address all of that when I get to that part."

"So what happened when you got to Kalos?" Ash asked. "Neither of us have been so we don't know much about it other than what was told to us by a onetime acquaintance of mine we ran into a few weeks back, though a close friend of ours is there right now."

"Well I got into Lumiose City, which like Saffron is the de facto capital of the region due to its size and central location and began my journey on foot." Sabrina said thinking back on the scared girl she had been going to a whole new region for the first time and in such a fragile state. "I had decided that I wanted to experience a true journey so rather than get transportation to Anistar I walked and had an adventure."

"What was it?" Ash asked curiously, he loved hearing other's adventures.

"Well it was up and down and probably not my best decision given how weak I mentally was at the time." Sabrina admitted. "I was still just getting used to having my mind back and the lure of my power was constant but I pushed through it, I needed to prove to myself that I could do it. In the end I do think it was the right one despite nearly losing control again at the end of my trip."

"How so?" Dawn asked with concern in her voice. "You almost lost it again?"

"I needed the journey to see the region a little as I knew I wouldn't after reaching Anistar and to feel normal. " Sabrina said remembering back to it. "At first it was like that. I made my way to Anistar City and had fun for the first time in years. I saw many new Pokémon, even caught a Fennekin that had been callously abandoned for being too weak and I cared for it. It's a fire type but its final evolution, Delphox, is also a psychic type so that was the connection and mine is now a Delphox who helps my mom out. While I didn't use my powers until near the end, I did feel the urge to but resisted it. I even made a friend along the way, the first human one in my life."

"You did?" Ash asked feeling bad for Sabrina to have to wait so long to make a friend. "I am sorry to hear that you hadn't had any friends though."

"That was my own fault." Sabrina said with a sigh. "I didn't exactly have a normal childhood because of my powers, my focus on them and their ultimate control over me. It was all why I ended up with a split personality in the end so it was nice to make a friend along the way."

"That's good." Dawn said with a smile. "Ash and I have made many friends, both brief and long-lasting ones, on our journeys; it really makes the journey worthwhile. How did you meet your friend?"

"It truly does." Sabrina said returning Dawn's smile. "I had stopped off at a roadside Pokémon Center just outside of Dendemille Town, which I had to pass through to get to Anistar City and was in the common area with Fennekin grooming him while Haunter caused a ruckus to keep me smiling and in enough control to function. He may have been a wild Pokémon but he was there purely for me, I know I couldn't have made it without Haunter. When I was done I returned Fennekin and got up and bumped into this kid who had just arrived and we went sprawling. When the dust settled I realized it was a guy maybe a year or two younger than me."

"A guy." Dawn said with a sly grin at Sabrina teasing the older woman a little.

"Not like that." Sabrina said shaking her head but happy that Dawn was teasing her, it lightened the mood a little. "I was nowhere near mentally ready for a crush or even feelings. Interacting with people was tough for me given my history of interactions before so just being friendly was an accomplishment. Maybe if I saw Alain again and he was like he was back when we met then maybe if he asked for a date I'd say yes but that isn't relevant to the story."

"So what happened after you got up?" Ash asked oblivious to Dawn's teasing.

"He helped me up and apologized for bumping into me." Sabrina said. "I told him that it was my fault and was about to leave when he correctly identified that I was from Kanto and asked why I was in Kalos."

"He could tell?" Dawn asked confused. "I couldn't when I met Ash that he was from Kanto."

"That is likely because Sinnoh and Kanto are close enough and have had enough exposure over the years for accents to blend enough that it is hard to place." Sabrina said thoughtfully. "Even today Kalos, which is on the other side of the world, hasn't had much interactions with Kanto so it was clear that my accent wasn't from the area."

"Ah that would explain it." Dawn said. "When I was in Unova they knew I wasn't from there so I can see that. At least it was a good ice breaker for you."

"Yeah when I confirmed that I was from Kanto though he was ecstatic." Sabrina said. "Turned out that for some reason he had gotten a Charmander as his starter Pokémon rather than the Kalos option and loved it so he wanted to talk to me about Kanto and its native Pokémon. As I had a Fennekin it helped a lot as I didn't know much about Kalos Pokémon so we had a common grounds to talk on."

"Sounds like the kind of meeting one has in a Pokémon center." Ash said with a nod. "Many of my friends and rivals come from such meetings."

"Yeah it was aa really good thing for me in the end." Sabrina said with a smile. "He was kind, friendly and knew a lot about Pokémon. Well he was an assistant to the Kalos region Professor, Augustine Sycamore, so it made sense that he knew about Pokémon. With the ice broken we had a great conversation. It turned out that we were both heading to Anistar City. He was going to inspect the famous sundial there for Professor Sycamore's research and I was going to see Olympia so we decided to travel together, after a battle of course."

"Were you ready to battle?" Ash said thinking back to how Sabrina had been back when they had first battled. "I know how close you and Kadabra are but that would have been right after the bond was broken and with you mental state at the time it could have caused problems."

"Well Kadabra and I still have an empathetic link, as do I and Haunter in fact, but yes it was the first time I had used him in a battle without being linked with Kadabra." Sabrina said remembering the battle well as it had been her first since reuniting her mind. "Alain used his Charmeleon against us and we had a great battle that he won. He was a talented trainer and I was very much not at the time as my usual tactic wasn't available. It was fun but I came close to losing it as I began to use my powers without realizing it because of the battle. Haunter and Kadabra sensed it and Haunter pants Alain to make me laugh and stop using them."

"That is funny, if embarrassing." Ash said with a chuckle. "Many a Pokémon have done it to me, accidentally of course."

"Yeah and Haunter was invisible so Alain didn't realize what had happened." Sabrina said laughing at the memory. "I apologized to him for laughing but he saw the humor in it as well and shrugged it off. That was the start of our friendship, one that would last all the way until I left Kalos even if we didn't see much of each other after reaching Anistar. That moment, reaching Anistar, was the worst part of the journey."

"You said that you almost lost control." Dawn said remembering that Sabrina had mentioned it earlier. "Was it there?"

"It was on the outskirts of the city but yes it was the closest I came to relapsing and I wasn't sure I could have come back again if I had." Sabrina said darkly but pushed on with the story as Dawn once again took her hand for comfort. "I remember it clearly even if my own actions are hazy. It was late afternoon on a stormy day because of course the weather was bad that day. There were high winds and the rain was just beginning to fall when we ran into a Pokémon poacher hunting Scatterbugs."

"Scatterbugs?" Ash asked. "I take it that that's a Kalos Pokémon."

"Yup, it's a bug type out there that has multiple forms depending on the part of the region they are from making them valuable to collectors." Sabrina said with a nod. "So poachers love going after them and then trafficking them to other regions where they can make a large profit."

"I hate people like that." Ash growled and Dawn nodded in agreement. "I have met way too many in my time and none are good. At least Team Rocket is incompetent, the others are straight up evil."

"Neither did Alain and me." Sabrina said gripping Dawn's hand tightly out of reflex. "We tried to stop her but she was powerful and had a strong Pokémon helping her out, a Trevenant I believe. I knew that the only way to win was my powers so for the first time in weeks, really since I had tried to use them after our battle, I gave into the constant temptation and used them."

"And it didn't go well I take it." Ash said as Dawn winced at the strength of Sabrina's grip but didn't let go.

"It worked in the sense that I defeated her and freed the Pokémon with was good." Sabrina said with a sigh as she loosened her hold of Dawn's hand but didn't let go. "But I used way too much of it too quickly. As soon as I tried to stop it my power refused to listen and tried to control me again. It took all my willpower to hold it at bay."

"What did you do?" Dawn asked concern in her voice, she knew that Sabrina had won but that didn't mean she couldn't be worried for what the woman had been through.

"I knew that I had to get to the gym as fast as possible despite the time and weather." Sabrina said. "So I told Alain, who knew I was traveling to see Olympia for her teachings as a psychic type specialist, that there was more to why I needed her and I had to go right away. He understood and dealt with the cleanup while I sprinted to the gym."

"That sounds terrifying." Dawn said her eyes wide.

"It was worse than anything I have ever felt." Sabrina said with a shudder. "My powers had originally taken over slowly as I upped my use until I became reliant on them, this time it wasn't slow. This was violent and fast. They wanted control, begged for it in fact, and I didn't want to give in. By this point it was pouring with rain and I fell over a few times on the way but I finally made it to the gym. I looked like a drowned Rattata with a wild look of fear in my eyes but I made it, barely. It wasn't pretty though."

"Your powers." Ash said with understanding in his voice. "They caused more problems when you got there."

"They were near uncontrollable at that moment as they tried to overcome me and rebelled against my attempts to reign them in." Sabrina admitted. "I knocked on the doors of the gym, it was closed because it was late. So as Olympia was coming to at least tell me to go away my telekinesis exploded outwards and blasted the doors off their hinges, cracked the ground and damaged the walls in a single wave of pure telekinetic power unlike any I had created before. The force was so strong that it even pushed Olympia and her Meowstic back despite her throwing up a telekinetic shield. After that I fell to my knees with a scream, caused more destruction, and almost lost my battle."

"But you didn't." Dawn said squeezing Sabrina's had. "How?"

"Haunter." Sabrina said with a smile and squeezing back. "He materialized knowing I needed him. he then took Kadabra's Poke Ball and opened it so that Kadabra was with us as well. He pranked Kadabra, setting his moustache on fire in the process. It was funny and I laughed at it despite the situation. That caused my powers to subside enough for me to force them to stop and regain control though I was almost done at that point. Olympia had come to me and knew I was strong from my uncontrolled display of power. As soon as she confirmed who she was I begged her for help and passed out from everything."

"After all that I'm not surprised." Dawn said unable to believe what Sabrina had been through but she doubted that the woman was lying. "You must have been exhausted from trying to contain it."

"Yeah it was the best thing for me as I had no fight left at that point." Sabrina said letting go of Dawn's hand again now that the worst part of the memory was over. "I was plagued by terrible nightmares after I passed out and my powers fought with me for control. Thankfully I won out and woke up with a scream and a blast of power that was more my stamp of authority over it than uncontrolled power. When I calmed down I found myself in a baren room with just a mattress and a note from Olympia."

"Huh?" Ash asked confused. "Special room?"

"After I passed out I had been taken to a special room in the gym." Sabrina explained. "It was used for when someone needed to vent with their power so it was designed to be destroyed. Given how I thrashed in my nightmares it was the best place to be. In her note Olympia said that she wanted to see me in center of the gym where the battlefield was so I went there. I had come to see her and I had arrived."

"So what happened?" Ash asked. "How'd you get her to help you?"

"Oh she was going to do that the moment she saw that my uncontrolled power so I was good on that front." Sabrina said before letting out a slight laugh. "It was actually amusing our meeting. She was amazed at how powerful I was for someone of my age. My raw power was greater than hers which stunned her as she only knew of one stronger than her and she told me that she knew that woman wasn't in Kalos."

"Who?" Ash asked though Dawn had a feeling she knew who it was.

"The Saffron City Gym Leader out in Kanto." Sabrina said and Ash just blinked in confusion while Dawn smirked as her assumption had been right. "Yeah she had heard of me as my father had told her because all powerful psychics talk apparently. However she was unaware of my situation."

"That is funny." Dawn said and Sabrina laughed in agreement. "What happened in that meeting?"

"Well she asked where I was from and why I had sought her out." Sabrina said. "So when I told her I was from Kanto she had asked why I hadn't gone to see, well, myself for help with my powers. The story she had heard was that the Saffron Gym Leader was in perfect control of her immense power and I should have sought her out. That was when I revealed to her the truth, I was Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader, and that whatever she had heard was a lie, I was far from in control."

"So you told her everything." Dawn said. "To help her understand why you were there."

"Yup, I told her everything up to that point." Sabrina said with a nod. "When she heard of my past she wasn't surprised that I had ended up abusing my powers so badly. With no one to help me once I had surpassed my dad at such a young age it was inevitable. The fact that I had broken the hold was incredible but when Haunter suddenly appeared in front of her and scared her causing me to laugh Olympia realized how it had happened."

"And that was all it took?" Dawn asked.

"Yup." Sabrina said before sipping her tea and continuing. "She readily agreed to help me but also agreed that I should keep my true name and history a secret from the others. She also understood that I needed Haunter around and said he could stay in hiding to help me so long as he didn't prank her. Thankfully didn't and he was the source of a lot of pranks and laughter while I was there."

"So from then on Olympia taught you control." Ash said, it wasn't a question just a statement of fact as they knew that Olympia had been the one to help Sabrina.

"She was my mentor yes and taught me the most but she was only one part of my recovery, a bug part but only one part." Sabrina said. "After our talk I become one of her acolytes, her core students who lived in Anistar with her and studied under her. In addition she personally trained me from the beginning to accept and use my powers properly but my years of abuse were too great for her alone to help me overcome."

"And that was when she brought up the meetings." Ash said. "You said that she had asked you to go to one earlier."

"She could tell that I needed more help to ensure I gained control." Sabrina said. "That was why she had suggested I attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in a nearby town. As I said that meeting helped more than I could have thought so after that I added weekly meetings and a therapist to my routine. I also set a myself a rigid schedule of training and breaks because it was determined that I needed the structure and it worked."

"But it took 2 years." Dawn said remembering earlier. "For it to work that is."

"2 years to get enough control to be able to function in society with as little fear of relapse as was possible which in my opinion was more than a fair price to pay." Sabrina said with a shrug. "And I wasn't even fully healed by then, I was just as close as I could be while in Kalos. I still can't use transmutation, that is too strong a power and I am too scared to try it lest I lose control again."

"I mean that does make sense." Ash said with a shudder at that aspect of Sabrina's power. "It was the scariest thing I saw when we faced off."

"Yeah it haunts me to this day what I did with that power." Sabrina said darkly. "I had to accept a lot of hard truths while in Kalos but they had to be accepted. I had to admit that I am an addict and that I always will be. I also had to accept that my addition is part of me and that it is my own fault because of my obsession with it as a kid. I am different from others but I needed to come to terms with it to get control over it and in the end be open about it so that others could get the help they need. Between that and Olympia's teachings I was finally there."

"So you spent all that time in Anistar?" Dawn asked. "You didn't see any other parts of Kalos other than what you saw on the way to Anistar?"

"No only the first year was purely there and the surrounding area." Sabrina said shaking her head. "After that I was able to travel with Olympia and see the region more as I had enough control then. With her aid I was able to resume my actual training. I even managed to catch an Inkay and a Gothita, both psychic types that are out there though I seldom use them in battle unless I am facing someone from Kalos, even with the latter now a fully evolved Gothitelle."

"Actually Gothita is an Unova native Pokémon." Ash corrected reflexively as he knew of that Pokémon. "I learned that while I was out there."

"There was a fair amount of interactions with Unova so that doesn't surprise me." Sabrina said not offended by Ash's correction in the slightest. "I've never been there, clearly as I didn't recognize your Krookodile, so I didn't know. Now I do."

"So you got out more." Dawn said getting back on topic or else Ash would be fully distracted with Pokémon and Dawn wanted to hear all of Sabrina's story. "But if Olympia was with you it was because you couldn't be alone I take it."

"It was a precaution yes." Sabrina said without irritation in her voice. "One I more that happily accepted as I had had a few scares so it was safest to only travel with her. I saw a lot of the region though and got my confidence back over that time as I began to train my new Pokémon. It was effectively learning everything anew but I am a fast learner and got it all back in the end."

"That is good." Ash said with a smile at the thought of training to get confidence back, he did it after every loss. "Were there any other major scares?"

"One major one yes but in a sense it was one that I had to experience to know that it could happen and how to avoid it." Sabrina confirmed. "As you know I am a telepath as well as a telekinetic. Usually I can focus and keep it at bay but when Olympia was invited to be a special judge at a nearby Pokémon Performance I joined her as her guest and got to sit in her box and watch it."

"That sounds like fun." Dawn said. "We've heard about Performances but know little about them. Hopefully one day we can see one, if we ever end up in Kalos that is."

"They are fun and great to watch, on TV that is." Sabrina said. "At least they are for me because while there the sheer number of people in the crowd was too much form me. Their cheering and joy at the Performers broke through my rather fragile defenses and I almost lost it again as all of their thoughts hit me at once. Fortunately Olympia and Haunter were with me when I collapsed and began to have a seizure from the influx. They got me out and away from the voices in time to regain control but I learned one thing that day, I can't handle crowds."

"So that is why you were out of town for the Contest." Dawn said a realization hit her. "It was packed and there were a lot of people around the Contest Hall for it, even staying here would have been tough for you."

"Correct." Sabrina confirmed. "Thanks to the Committee knowing of my struggles and always scheduling it during my week off I was able to leave town for it and take a few days at a nearby spa to relax, get properly pampered, and meditate as a way of maintaining control. I might be able to do it now but I chose not to risk it just to be safe."

"It is for the best as Contests can get pretty loud so if you can hear minds it may cause you issues." Dawn said understanding why Sabrina didn't want to be in the city for it. "It was good that Olympia was there for you."

"Yeah she was really a lifesaver in that moment." Sabrina said with a fond smile at her mentor. "Afterwards she did give me an Espurr egg to remember her by so I got one of them as well. He won't evolve and is basically only used to help me and others like me when we need a comfort Pokémon but he is a constant reminder that Olympia is there for me."

"Makes sense." Ash said, Pokémon served many purposes and Sabrina's Espurr clearly did this for her. "So you had enough control to return after 2 years, that must have been nice."

"I did and it was." Sabrina said. "I could have stayed but if I did it would hiding from my duties back here, not to regain control, and Olympia knew it. She will always be there for me and we still email weekly but I needed to return to Kanto. It was time for me to come home. Well that had been the plan until my dad told me to take a detour once I was back in Kanto."

"Anabel." Ash said recalling that Sabrina had said she had spent some time with the kind but slightly strange Frontier Brain of the Battle Tower after her trip to Kalos. "She would have recently become a Frontier Brain, right?"

"Correct." Sabrina said not surprised that Ash remembered what she had told them that morning in front of the gym. "It was while in Lumiose City seeing Alain and Professor Sycamore, and telling them who I actually was, when dad told me of her. He didn't know much but said that she was a Frontier Brain out by the Tohjo Falls, and more importantly, she was a psychic type specialist with a rare psychic ability, she was an empath."

"An empath?" Dawn asked confused. "What's that?"

"Anabel can talk to Pokémon with her mind though it isn't really speech, more communicating via emotions if that makes sense." Ash said surprising Dawn and causing her to gape at him. "She can do it with humans as well but she has to be touching them to do so if I recall, she doesn't have to do that with Pokémon."

"And how do you know this?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

"I did face and beat the Battle Frontier." Ash pointed out. "Anabel is the Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower, the 6th Frontier Brain I faced so only Brandon, who you met, was left after I beat her."

"Yes I remember Brandon but that doesn't explain this Anabel person." Dawn said, her jealousy was tickled and she decided to listen to and curse Misty for making it so sensitive to threats from other women. "You have probably mentioned her but you rarely speak of the Battle Frontier and even when we met Brandon you didn't say as much about him other than what the Frontier was."

"Well of all of them I got on best with Anabel." Ash said simply completely missing Dawn's suspicions. "She's our age and a really strong trainer. I met her when I had once again pissed off a Beedrill, though those Pokémon have serious anger management problems and I always seem to set them off."

"True they do have anger issues." Dawn agreed. "But that doesn't explain anything about how you know so much about this Anabel's abilities."

"Yes Ash, explain." Sabrina said with a chuckle enjoying watching Dawn grill him, clearly the girl was suspicious of Anabel and for good reason even if Dawn didn't know she was correct. "How do you know about Anabel's abilities?"

Sabrina knew more that either Dawn or Ash about the young Salon Maiden. They were good friends because of their year together and similar abilities and continued to exchange messages every few days and even saw each other occasionally when their schedules allowed it. In fact Sabrina was planning on going down to Cremini Town is a month's time when her next week off came up so as to catch up and talk with Anabel about her battle with Ash. Anabel had asked her to do so as soon as Sabrina had told her about facing Ash and Sabrina had agreed but only after Anabel told her why she was so interested in it.

That was when Sabrina learned that Ash had faced Anabel a few years ago during his challenge of the Kanto Battle Frontier, a few months after Sabrina had left Anabel to return to Saffron. It turned out that the young man from Pallet Town had made quite an impression on the reserved and shy Salon Maiden. So much of impression that Anabel had developed a crush on Ash, one that still burned to this day and why she wanted Sabrina to come and discuss her battle with him.

Given Dawn's not so silent thoughts, she was practically screaming them in her head so that Sabrina couldn't avoid hearing them if she had tried, it appeared that many women either had, or Dawn thought would have, feelings for Ash and Dawn was constantly fighting these rivals. It was an interesting strategy, one that Sabrina would have to talk with Dawn in private about one day if she ever got a boyfriend but that was beyond the point at the moment. Right now she was enjoying watching Ash obliviously explain who Anabel was while missing the warning signs from his girlfriend.

"Well Anabel came to my rescue and saved me from Beedrill with her abilities by calming it down." Ash explained oblivious to Dawn's reason for questioning him. "Then we dealt with Team Rocket and ended up in a lake, there may or may not have been an angry Gyarados, can't remember when that occurred. We did run into one that Anabel calmed down after realizing it was in pain and angry because of that but it was a bit of blur back then. Anyway we went to hers to dry off and that was when I found out she was a girl."

"So like Angie." Dawn said her suspicions not quelled in the slightest. "You thought she was a boy and probably offended her in the process

"Yeah and in my defense she has short hair and favors more masculine clothes though unlike Angie she wasn't offended at that." Ash said thinking back to his meeting with Anabel. "But yeah found that out which was a little awkward and then rudely hurried off to the Battle Tower only to learn that she was the Frontier Brain there."

"That is so you." Dawn said with a shake of her head. "Running into the person you have to face, not realizing, and doing something stupid in the process."

"Pretty much, I seemed to have bad luck in that regard." Ash said sheepishly remembering the many times he'd put his foot in his mouth without realizing it. "In my rush to I face her I was outmatched and lost because of her power. Due to her empathetic link she can fight without orders which makes it hard to win when you don't see it coming."

"You always seem to do that." Dawn said with a sigh. "Rush in and battle without thinking and then losing. At least you always learn from it."

"True it is a bad habit but one I am hoping to break this year." Ash said though Dawn doubted that Ash would ever truly break it but opted to not say anything and let Ash continue. "After the loss I did some training alone and some with May and Anabel where she tried to teach us her abilities but beyond some low-level senses of my own Pokémon in battle I never got it. We also got we again and pissed off several Beedrills this time, though not in that order I think. As I said it was a blur because we were having fun and training. Afterwards I faced her again and beat her the second time to get my 6th Frontier Symbol. We shook hands and she wished me luck."

"I see." Dawn said and Sabrina could read in Dawn's very loud thoughts and they were screaming that if she ever ran into this Anabel she was going to have to keep a keen eye on her because she didn't trust someone who got that close to Ash that quickly. "So she has an ability similar to yours then Sabrina."

"Correct though it is still different as well." Sabrina said glad that Dawn wasn't pushing it. "Unlike me who has telepathy as part of my psychic suit, Anabel has empathy which is the emotional equivalent and Ash explained it well. It isn't uncommon for certain specific psychic types who are close with their trainers to share a similar effect."

"It isn't?" Ash asked. "The only psychic type I have is a Mr. Mime and I don't use it; it stays at home and helps my mother so I don't know the type well."

"It takes a close bond but it can happen." Sabrina said thinking of how to explain it well. "I for one have one with Kadabra but given our past we don't use it for our own safety. Likewise I know that the Kalos champion, a woman called Diantha, has a similar bond with her primary Pokémon which is a Gardevoir. Furthermore a psychic like me who has the telepath ability might be able to achieve an empathetic link with a Pokémon that isn't a psychic type if they are close enough. I think I mentioned it earlier but I have one with Haunter that began when he was still a wild Pokémon. It is likely one of the reasons why he let me catch him in the end, but none of that compares to Anabel."

"How so?" Dawn asked her curiosity getting the better of her natural suspicions of another woman who had spent time with Ash and might fall for his unique charm. "I have never met anyone with these abilities, even the psychic specialist on the Sinnoh Elite Four who I once battled doesn't have psychic powers so I don't understand any of this.

"Anabel is a full empath who can reach telepathy with her own psychic type Pokémon because of their but that is it." Sabrina explained. "With all other Pokémon she can speak to them with her empathetic powers through complex emotions that she can't really explain but that is it. She can sense human emotions with touch as well as Ash correctly pointed out but that is the extent of her powers. It was her ability that I sought her out for though as she had control over it."

"And I take it that Anabel helped." Ash said.

"It did but not the same as the help I got from Olympia." Sabrina said. "Olympia doesn't have telepathy, her advanced abilities manifested in foresight which I don't have so she couldn't help me deal with my telepathy other than getting me away from the Performance when it caused problems. Anabel however could at least in the mechanics of it as our powers are similar. So I found her and told her who I was and why I needed her help, though I was still not open to everyone else about how I viewed it. Anabel is a kind and sweet girl and after reading my emotions she agreed to help. I lived with her for a year and it was great, the last thing I needed."

"So what did Anabel do for you?" Ash asked. "She is a kind girl with a good heart so I don't doubt that she helped you."

"A lot." Sabrina said with a smile while Dawn mentally growled at Ash's praise but trusted her boyfriend that he had no feelings for Anabel which was true. "Our abilities aren't exactly the same but are similar enough for her to help out. She had her powers from a young age as well and had some initial struggles when it manifested so she could sympathize with me. She had techniques helped me find my telepathic control. It was the last thing I needed. Well that and one more thing that Anabel agreed to help me with."

"What?" Dawn asked deciding to end her mental annoyance for now, Ash was hers and she knew it. "What else did you need help with?"

"Getting my battle confidence back." Sabrina said surprising both of them. "I am a gym leader; I love my job and the battles that come with it but after everything that happened I was shaken in my own skills. It happens to all leaders; I just took a lot longer than most to get it back as Kadabra and I had never really battled without our mental link, at least not as a gym leader."

"And Anabel battles that way." Ash said. "So she would be of use in helping you regain your skills."

"Exactly, Anabel helped a lot there." Sabrina agreed, Ash had battle Anabel and her back when she was not in control so he would know how similar the styles were. "With her own battle style and type preference she was able to help me regain my own fighting spirit and fully become the leader I should have been all along. After that all it took was beating her in battle, which I did at the end of our year together, for me to finally be ready to come back."

"I get that, I once had a gym battle in Sinnoh to help out the gym leader who had her faith shaken." Dawn said fully getting what Sabrina was saying. "Maylene, a fighting type specialist and the Veilstone City Gym Leader had her confidence shaken by some absolute asshole who had just beaten her. At that time I had also lost my own confidence after some tough losses in Contests, I hadn't advanced to the battle stage twice in a row, so we spoke and I ended up challenging her to an official battle. I lost but it really helped her regain her confidence. I did win my other gym battle though."

"That was very kind of you." Sabrina said giving Dawn a warm smile, it really was a good thing that Dawn had done. "I know how much something like that can help a gym leader who needs it. I gotta ask, who did you beat? You really don't strike me as a gym challenger Dawn."

"Oh I'm not, both battles were exceptions." Dawn said with a nod. "Mylene was for her, Misty was for me."

"Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader?" Sabrina asked knowing the name but seeing Ash put more in context about the redhead water specialist to the north of Saffron. "I know her, I think I once turned her into a doll, right?"

"You did." Ash confirmed. "It was after our second battle when I first tried to use Haunter. You tried to turn all of us into dolls to stay and play with you but you only got Misty and Brock."

"Yes I thought that." Sabrina said remembering it well now, she may not have been in control but she clearly remembered all the terrible things she had done all those years ago. "If I recall, she had a huge crush on you back then. I could read it in her thoughts the second time we battled, she was head over heels for you and didn't know why. Something about you almost dying in Lavender Town triggered them and she was scared of them."

"Oh she still has feelings for Ash and they are much deeper than a simple crush." Dawn growled. "That was why I challenged her within minutes of meeting here. You see we met for the first time when Ash brought me back to Kanto shortly after we became a couple."

"Ah I see yes her reputation isn't one of calm reason." Sabrina said seeing exactly how volatile that meeting could be. "At least from what I have heard of her reputation, we haven't met in person since after I gave you the Marsh Badge."

"Irrational volatility is a more accurate deception of Misty's personality." Dawn said helpfully. "At least that is what I got from her though in my case it was rational volatility given the fact that we had both fallen in love with the same guy but I was the one who beat her."

"Yes well that was an interesting battle and a story for another day in order to give it justice." Ash said moving the conversation on before Dawn's strange annoyance at Misty got worse and detracted them from their conversation. "So after Anabel you came back to Saffron City Sabrina."

"Yes, I was back to reclaim my gym after 3 years of absence from the city." Sabrina said firmly just as she had when she told her dad she was coming home at last. "My dad had me battle him to show him that I was stable. I did and I beat him so the gym was mine again but it wasn't as smooth a transition as I had hoped."

"Why?" Dawn asked. "You had your control and were finally mentally ready for the job. What more did you have to go through?"

"Nothing as bad as my first time as gym leader or during my journey." Sabrina said reassuringly. "It was just a tough adjustment for the first year as I needed to find my balance l but once I fell into my rigid schedule, began hosting meetings and talking openly about my struggles I found it and things fell into place at last. These past 2 years have been the best of my life and I owe it all to Ash, Haunter, Olympia, Anabel and all those who have helped me over the years and during my own journey to recovery. For the first time in my life I am close to normal and I love it."

"I am glad that I could help even if I didn't realize." Ash said still a little unease with his role in all of this, he didn't feel like he deserved the praise but still took it. "I was just trying to get a gym badge; I didn't realize how much of an effect my actions had."

"You were the trigger I needed to reclaim my life and get it truly in order." Sabrina said with a brilliant smile at Ash that Dawn knew was purely platonic. "Though I know that you don't see it this way, I am forever in your debt Ash and will always be grateful to you for what you did for me."

Ash blushed and was about to say something to try and mitigate his praise when a brunette woman with similar facial features to Sabrina poked her head into the room. She pointedly did not look at the doll house or the doll itself as she stared at Sabrina.

"Sabrina dear, dinner is ready in the dining room for you and your guests." The woman who was clearly Sabrina's mother said with a small smile. "It is covered up to keep it warm and ready for you whenever. Your father and I are going to use this time to go out for the evening so have fun. Ash, I am sorry that I haven't had the chance to say hi yet and properly thank you for all you have done for this family. I will properly do so tomorrow."

"Thanks mom." Sabrina said with a wide smile as her mother left while Ash just blushed in embarrassment and Dawn looked lovingly at her boyfriend and how much he had helped Sabrina and her family. "Well come on, don't want to let the food get cold."

With that Sabrina got up and Ash and Dawn just followed her. Apparently it was dinner time, time was hard to tell underground so it made sense, and frankly they could use it as Ash's stomach started roaring in anticipation of food. Sabrina had just told them of her long, painful, and tough journey to reach this point in her life. It had been very heavy and they needed food to digest it. Of course the invisible Pokémon following them knew this as well but he had his own plans for them.

Sabrina led the couple down another hallway and into a simple dining room. Like with the rest of the living quarters this one was specially designed to not look like it was underground though this room was wood paneled with a thin but tasteful carpet and a large wooden table that could fit about 8 people in the center.

At one end of the table was three settings with silver plates and dishes over them to keep them warm and simple glasses on coasters next to the plates. There was water and juice on the table and a bunch of sides just waiting for them.

It all smelled delicious and instantly Ash was seated on one side but waited for a chuckling Sabrina to take her place at the head of the table and Dawn to sit down across from him. There was even a set of bowls nearby with Pokémon food in it for their Pokémon. There were 4 one for Sabrina's Kadabra who was already there and waiting for them, one each for Pikachu and Piplup and a fourth full bowl for some reason.

The Pokémon all started eating right away and chatting happily amongst themselves, Kadabra getting to know the other two starters for the first time even if he and Pikachu had faced off enough times to have a small rivalry between them. Ash and Dawn waited for Sabrina to remove her own serving dish remove theirs. That was when it happened.

As soon as Dawn removed her dish Haunter materialized over her food with a wide, manic grin on his face, his tongue out and waggling as he shook his body wildly. Dawn screamed while Ash jumped and Sabrina laughed as Dawn proceeded to fall out of her chair and landed in an undignified and painful heap on the floor.

Haunter then flew down and proceeded to lick Dawn's face with his slimy tongue paralyzing her, both literally and with fear, while he laughed the whole time and then repeated the lick so that he covered all of her face with his saliva. He didn't know this human so he was greeting her with a prank and some affection to show that she was welcome here.

"I was wondering when Haunter was going to show up and start pranking us." Sabrina said through her laughter as Dawn cringed on the floor from the embarrassment and gross feeling of Haunter's tongue. "I guess he was waiting for the right moment, letting me talk about my struggles and recovery first before cheering us up after a heavy talk. I think he chose Dawn because he didn't know her and wanted to welcome her."

All Dawn could do was spit and grumble her disagreement inaudibly from the while Ash joined in Sabrina's laughter. Piplup had noticed too and he was now rolling on the floor holding his belly with his flippers as he laughed his ass off. Pikachu and Kadabra just smiling but not joining Piplup in his mirth at Dawn's expense. Haunter noticed this flew over to join them for dinner.

"Pip, Piplup." Piplup coughed out as he recovered and asked Haunter to teach him how to prank Dawn like that. "Piplup, pip, Piplup."

Haunter cocked his head and looked at the odd water type he hadn't met before, a Piplup apparently, as it spoke to him. it was asking him to teach him the art of the epic prank so that it could use it on its human, the girl that Haunter had just so expertly pranked. Haunter loved pranks and teaching their art was something he was more than happy to do when a fellow Pokémon wanted to learn from him. he just had to make sure that this Piplup had the right reason for it before he showed him the way of the prank.

"Haunter?" Haunter asked to clarify what Piplup wanted out of it and why it needed his expert advice. "Haunt, Haunter."

"Piplup, pip, Piplup." Piplup said forcefully explaining that he wanted to keep his trainer honest and fun because while he loved Dawn dearly and they had an unbreakable bon, she messed up a lot and often it was Piplup who got hurt so he wanted to keep her honest with pranks the way Haunter seemed to do for his human. "Pip, Piplup."

"Haunter." Haunter said with a smile and a nod. Piplup clearly wanted what was best for his human and Haunter could accept that and show this Piplup how to use pranks to achieve that. "Haunter."

With that Haunter launched into a diatribe on how to properly prank a human, the various ways to do it and how to maximize the fun for Piplup himself as it was their amusement that was key to the prank. All the while Piplup was listening intently, more so than ever before, and asking occasional questions for clarity as they adjusted Haunter's techniques to Piplup's limitations.

Dawn saw all of this as she recovered and felt an uneasy sense of dread in her stomach as Piplup started to really pay attention to Haunter. Getting up from the floor and wiping her face on a spare napkin that Sabrina had provided Dawn was ready to eat. Sitting down she glanced again at Piplup and Haunter and knew that it was going to be bad for her.

"Haunter is teaching Piplup how to prank me isn't he?" Dawn asked and Sabrina and Ash looked at the pair.

"Almost certainly." Sabrina said with an apologetic smile. "It is his favorite thing to do and I guess Piplup has managed to persuade him to teach it how to prank you. Sorry for that, Haunter may be my Pokémon now but he's not the most loyal Pokémon I've ever owned."

"Great just what I need." Dawn muttered as they began to eat, the food was delicious and she began to tuck in. "More ways for Piplup to show me when he's annoyed."

"You two have an odd relationship." Sabrina commented while Ash began to eat at near full speed. "A good one, that much I can tell, but an odd one nonetheless."

"You don't even know the half of it." Dawn said with a sigh and a smile, for all Piplup put her through at times, and if fairness she him, they loved each other deeply and would never be parted, their bond was too strong for that. "It all started on my first day as a trainer before I even selected my first Pokémon. I didn't know which of the Sinnoh starters I wanted but Piplup and I had an adventure before I could make that choice that involved us saving each other a few time. After that kind of meeting there was no question, he was my starter before even I knew it myself and been together ever since."

"Sounds interesting and now that dinner is here I think it is time for your stories, both of you." Sabrina said with a grin as she too began to dig in. "I want to hear all of them."

"There's a lot and that's just from our time together in Sinnoh." Dawn pointed out. "Ash has even more than I do from both before he met me and after we had to part ways the first and second time."

"Well then start at the beginning." Sabrina said looking to Ash as he would be the one to start. "We have all night and hopefully tomorrow as I am still off and it isn't a rush for you to head to Lavender Town just yet. Ash, what happened after I gave you the Marsh Badge all the way up to this morning? I want to hear all of the adventures you have had between our meetings."

Sabrina had barely finished eating when Ash launched into his many tales of adventures over the years. Dawn joined Sabrina in listening to the stories she had never heard before and waited until she was present to join in, smiling lovingly at Ash the entire time. It was just what they needed after Sabrina's own tough but inspiring tale. Ash was a great storyteller and his adventures were legendary.

They would be up late into the night with them and Dawn couldn't think of anything better than to listen to them and tell Sabrina her own adventures from when she wasn't with Ash. It had been a long day but a good one. It was time for their story, one that Sabrina would hardly be able to believe.

Well there it is, Sabrina's hard and tough journey to get to where she is. It hasn't been easy but she made it. Naturally this is a very serious topic and I apologize if I failed to do it justice. If you know anyone who is struggling with these or any other problems don't be afraid to get them help, there is nothing wrong with it and especially in these times we all need to look out for our mental health just as much as our physical health. Honestly, after a long and heavy Supplement like this I really don't feel like adding anymore to it or comments that I have to it the way I usually do, I will save them until after the next one when it comes out at the end of October. I won't even leave my usual sign off, just end it here.

Stringdog