Chapter 16

The physic girl

Thanks for reading this far, I hope you enjoy, I think I know how I am going to end it now so there should only be a few more chapters alright? I am actually kind of bored with this and I have been meaning to finish it but….I forgot Alright. Please R&R and thanks for reading.

We finally arrived in Saffron city, quickly; Lance led the way to the Pokémon center, eager to heal all of our Pokémon before we met up with my brother. And in no time at all we found Misty and Brock waiting bored outside of the gym.

"Hey," I greeted, Ruby hiding behind my leg. The two of them smiled at her.

"It's ok," Brock crooned.

"We won't bight." Misty said. Ruby stepped forward.

"Hi," she said quickly, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"So where is Ash?" I asked looking around, my gaze landing on the gym.

"Do you even need to ask?" Brock said as he laid down on the ground and stared up at the sky.

"So Ash is battling Sabrina…" Lance said, more to himself.

"Yup," Brock confirmed everyone's gazes seemed to glaze over.

"I wonder how he's doing." Misty wondered all three of them staring blankly up at the sky, their vacant expressions terrified me.

"Why? Is Sabrina hard?" I asked, beginning to worry. Brock nodded.

"Not only is she tough but she tends to be a little…extream. Sometimes her attacks even effect the trainer. There is a rumor that she is a phycic herself and can use tellepathy. She lives alone and though the two may look like sisters, they are actually the same person, she divided herself in two to act as a child and adult." I bit my lip, praying my brother was ok, when sudenly the door opened and Ash came out, an older woman and a child, close to Ruby's age, following close behind. Ash's walking was stiff as if he was scared of being stabbed from behind. I quickly made my way to his side eyeing the girls, or girl…Sabrina carefully. The older one looked down at me, her gaze hard and cold and I froze under it, pettrified. I gripped Ash's shoulder but he didn't seem to care.

I ripped my stare away from Sabrina's hipnotic gaze and looked at Ash, my eyes asking if he won the badge. He avoided my gaze, which told me everything I needed to know. We walked twoards Misty who was sitting on the bench and like Brock seemed to be pretending Sabrina wasn't there. They all seemed tense but the only one who made eye contact with Sabrina seemed to be Lance. I looked around and didn't see Ruby and when I turned around she was besde the younger half of Sabrina. I turned and gaped, fighting the urge to lung out and pull her away. Ruby was being Ruby, chatting happily with one of her large smiles trying to make friends, just like I had taught her. Then, younger Sabrina actually smiled. It was easily the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. Ruby didn't seem to mind she smiled warmly in return, the way only an innocent 7 year old can. I walked over trying my best to be casual, and wrapped my arm around Ruby and smiled as honestly as I could given the circumstances. I was not interested in running anymore physcic or ghostly encounters.

"I am Claire it's nice to meet you." I offered with a smile, as I ignored my racing heart. Lance walked up behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me close.

"Sabrina, It's nice to see you again." Lance said casually as I remembered that he was practiclly her boss.

"lance… Why are you here?" older Sabrina said, her voice cold and monotone, almost robotic.

"I am here with a couple of friends," He said nodding towards the rest of us, Ash inparticular.

"Oh…" she said quietly looking at each of us in turn. For a moment I met her gaze, her eyes were dark and cold. Causing me to feel as if I was falling down into an abyss. I quickly ripped my eyes away, bashfully staring down at my feet. If she noticed she didn't seem to care. "Are you here to battle as well?" She asked me. I looked at her startled and shook my head.

"I am not ready for a battle yet." I said to scared to risk my luck with her, knowing I really would have lost any battle between us.

"But I will be back!" Ash said confidantly. "I will be back tommarow for another battle and I will beat you Sabrina!" Ash said stubornly. Sabrina didn't respond but walked away. We spent the rest of the day at the Pokémon center with Ash and sure enough the next day we returned, this time all of us entered the gym to watch.

"Good luck Ash!" I called out once the battle started.

"Shhh." Lance whispered to me quitely watching the battle carefully. "Don't distract him." I stayed silent and watched Ruby. She kept staring at younger Sabrina with a mix of both wonder and awe. She waved to her but she didn't respond. I glanced back at the battle for a moment. And painfully watched pikachu get hit with a phycic attack. I quickly looked away unable to take it. And when I looked around. Ruby was gone. I looked around the room franticlly to see her making her way around the edge of the arena towards Sabrina.

"Rub-" I started to call out before stopping myself. Scared of being to loud. Instead I rose to my feet and took off running after her but she was already at Sabrina's side before I cought up to her. Ruby was waving at her and making silly faces and trying desprately to get eaither Sabrina to smile. "Ruby." I mutter silently. "Not right now." I said placing my hand on her shoulder to lead her away.

"But I want to talk to my friend." Ruby insistied. Sabrina looked away from the fight and stared at us, her alakazam still fighting.

"Friend?" She asked, almost cunfused.

"Yup!" Ruby said excitedly, bouncing back and forth on her heels. Sabrina seemed to forget about the fight as she stared at Ruby who didn't seem at all disturbed by her unearthly eyes. Sabrina actually smiled, and for the first time pikachu landed n attack on alakazam, doing major damage with a thunder bolt.

"I've never had a friend before." Sabrina said.

"Well now you have me." Ruby said cheerfully. Sabrina couldn't remember ever having 'freiends' she found it strange and different, yet…it made her happy.

Pikachu landed another strike, Ruby cuntinued to talk and distract Sabrina from the fight until at last Ash won and Ruby promised to return every now and then to visit Sabrina.

As we left the town I couldn't stop watching Ruby and thinking about what she did back there. If she was ½ as smart as I gave her credit for then she knew Sabrina was not to be reckoned with and what she did was dangerous, did she do it dispite fear? Out of wonder? Did she just want Ash to win? Or did she genuinly want to be Sabrina's friend?

"'I've never had a friend before.'"

Sabrina had said, did Ruby sympathize with her? is it possible she knew they were alike? I stared at my little sister who without looking wrapped her small hand in mine. As if knowing what I was thinking. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Guess what Claire!" She said excitedly, "I made my first real friend!"

Days passed and we traveled town to town, this time we stayed as a group, until one night in the hotel I was with Ruby and I couldn't sleep, Ruby however was passed peacefully out on the bed after the long day of exploring. We had gone through a dark cave and she had hated that. She had clinged to my arm like if she didn't she would be obsorbed into the darkness. But tonight was different, tonight I heard her ehimpering in her sleep.

"Hey, Ruby." I said soothingly, running my hand along her back like I use to when she couldn't sleep. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked at me nuzzling closely to me, beginning to drift off into sleep. "What's wrong Ruby? Did you have a nightmare?" I asked running my hand throuhgh her smooth black hair she seemed to like it her body relaxed and she became less tense. And she nodded.

"I couldn't find you." She said, "I heard daddy but I couldn't find him eaither. It was dark, I don't know where I was." She confided. I nodded.

"It's just a dream go back to bed, I am here to protect you now." I said calmly. She nodded and on the brim of conchioussness she asked me.

"Claire, when are we going back home? I miss dad." I paused for a moment.

"Do you want to go home Ruby?" I asked She nodded. "Alright, we will start for home tommarow." I told her, remembering my promise to my father. Ruby was out like a light however it took me at least 15 minutes before falling into a restless sleep. I drempt of brighter days when my family was peaceful. Me, Ruby, Dad, it was simple and sweet. Sure there were its bad times that I can complain about, like not going out, not getting many Pokémon, not seeing the world, but, it also had its brighter days like when dad would set up the pool and the sprinkler, when the three of us would eat a picnic on the lawn. He might be the leader of evil, but he for the most part was a good father and I couldn't imagine my childhood without him.

The next day I woke up early and leaving Ruby to sleep I met with Lance and we discussed our going home, I wasn't sure what I wanted. There was so much I had yet to see, but I missed my old life, but even if I went back would I be able to retun to it? Lance was very understanding of the situation.

"I think it is a good idea to take Ruby home, you don't have to stay but she is young, she needs a home, and a father." Lance said. I nodded wrapping myself in a hug, fighting off the morning chill.

"Will you come with me?" I asked quitely, knowing how hard it must be for him to return something to his mortal enemy, but to my surprise, he agreed. When the others awoke we dicussed the matter with them, they all agreed it was for the best. I offered to go alone, just me Ruby and Lance however Ash was presistant. Insisting he meet his father face to face. I nodded and in the afternoon we all set off, determined to make the jouney fast. But once again we had to cross through the dark cave.

"Are you ready?" I asked Ruby who began clutching my arm. She nodded and swolled, determined to act like the brave girl I knew she was. Lance's charzard led the way, giving us at least a little light and notice of the oncoming Pokémon seeking battle that Brock normally fought off since they were, for the most part, rock, his element. We came to a small pond and Lance was forced to call back his charzard for a moment, to sheild him from an attacking water type. For a moment we were all engolfed in darkness. Ruby squeezing my arm tightly. Our wild calls filled the void.

"I'm over here,"

"Ouch that was my foot!"

"That's MY hand."

Suddenlly we each noticed a faint purple light, dimly filling the cave, allowing us to vagely see in the now incompleate darkness.

"What is that?" I asked taking a step towards it. Ruby reluctant to follow or let go of my hand stumbled along with me.

"NO WAY!" Lance cried out and dashed off past me, leaving all of us behind.

"Lance!" Brock called

"Get back here!" Misty cried out, soon Ash dashed past me, eager to be the first on the scene. Something echoed from down the cave as the light began to fade, I wasn't sure but it sounded like lance, something that vagely sounded like.

Mew two.