This time on Dragonball Z! …wait.
Misty sat up with a gasp.
She breathed heavily for a moment and looked down at Squirtle to make sure he was still in her grasp. Staryu was on his back but seemed to be working to right himself.
"What was-" the gym leader took stock of her surroundings. Gone were the shadows of the gym and the unsettling pressure bearing down on her.
Instead, she now appeared to be sitting in the middle of a brightly lit street. Pleasant-looking houses lined the road creating a happy-looking suburban environment.
Somehow this felt even eerier than the gym. At least in context.
"Are you two alright?" She checked on her Pokemon.
Squirtle grunted and gave a nod as she let him down and pushed herself to her feet. Staryu, having accomplished the same responded. "I am unharmed and ready to unleash my might upon the foul sorceress!"
"I'm not sure she's here…" Misty murmured, half to herself as she looked around. It certainly didn't seem to fit Sabrina's aesthetic, or at least what little she'd seen of it. "Where are the others?"
"That matter requires some investigation. Shall I begin a renaissance mission?" Staryu asked.
She shook her head. "I'd rather not split up, we have no idea where we are or how we got here. In fact, let me send out Starmie too."
The trainer grabbed the Pokeball in question and opened it. Or tried to at least. The ball remained completely inert. This only caused her concern to grow. "That's not good."
Just in case, she checked Goldeen's Pokeball too, and got the same result. She even tried Staryu and Squirtle's balls to see if she got a reaction, but it was no use.
The girl took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself down. First, everything at the gym with the pressure and the creepy little girl and Karen disappearing, and now this. But she needed to remain focused, losing control now would just make things worse.
"Okay." She started. "We need to look for the others, I don't know if they're here but I can't think of where else they could be."
A theory had begun to form in her mind. Sabrina had pointed at Karen when she had disappeared. What were the odds that the same thing had happened to them? Although she hadn't seen Sabrina raise her hand it made the most sense.
They slowly started moving up the street, keeping their eyes open for signs of movement or threats. But nothing happened. They reached the end of the street with no incident but they heard noises once they reached the corner.
Sounds of familiar Pokemon sped them on their way. Down the next street were Ash's Pokemon, apparently fretting over Eevee. The normal-type was beaten and bruised on the ground, having been sent directly here in her injured state.
Misty didn't waste time and immediately pulled off her pack and began digging through it for one of the potions she'd taken to carrying. She hadn't had a chance to go shopping in Saffron City yet but she should still have at least one.
Considering she wasn't a doctor she probably wasn't the best choice but there wasn't anyone else with medical knowledge here. She still took a quick look to see if she could tell where the worst of the damage was.
The evolution Pokemon still had her eyes closed but her breathing seemed steady. Her leg looked a bit of an awkward angle and it looked like she had a gash on her side. Misty figured it should probably be wrapped in bandages but she didn't have any. And not even any of Ash's socks to boot.
A potion should at the very least help ease her pain a bit. "This is going to sting a bit." She warned Eevee, not sure if the Pokemon could hear her in her current state. She pulled the trigger on the bottle, pointing it at the gash first. She spritzed a few times before pointing it at the leg as well.
Eevee winced and made a pained noise but it quickly faded and her breathing seemed to become a bit more normal. Misty sighed in relief and hoped it was a good sign.
With the immediate crisis dealt with she took a bit better stock of the situation and realized something, or rather someone was missing. "Where's Ash?"
"Pika!" Pikachu spoke up and started explaining. "Pika pi pichu pikachu pika!"
Staryu helpfully provided the translation. With some embellishments of course. "Pikachu claims that the illusionist did not make the transdimensional journey to this realm." The water-type paused. "Or if he has, they haven't seen him."
Right okay, that was… actually that made a bit of sense. She spoke her thoughts out loud for the benefit of the others. "Alright, assuming that Sabrina sent us here with her Psychic powers, it makes sense Ash wouldn't have since he's a dark-type."
"Char?" Sunny scratched his head.
"Clefairy!" Selene told him. "Clef fairy!"
Misty was left to assume that Selene had been clarifying the dark-type nullification stuff for Sunny. Hopefully.
Taking another look around the street she felt frustration beginning to build inside her. They still had no idea where they were, what had happened to Ash, and whether Karen had been sent here or somewhere else. She wanted to stomp her feet and scream.
But that wouldn't solve anything.
"Pidgeotto," Misty called for the bird Pokemon. "Can you fly up and see if you spot anything? Landmarks, other people, anything that looks helpful."
The flying-type trilled and took off, Misty watched her fly into the sky. As she did so she felt like she was missing something. But couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
She was still trying to figure this out when Pidgeotto collided with something in the air and began plummeting back down. Misty and the Pokemon gasped and they made a run to try and catch her but it was unneeded. She managed to right herself before flapping down. Her feathers were ruffled otherwise she seemed alright.
"What happened?" Misty wanted to know.
Pidgeotto explained and Staryu provided translation. "The flyer claims that just as she was beginning to reach a height she could look over the horizon she hit an invisible barrier."
That was not good.
She was debating what to do next when a familiar voice called out to her. "I figured you would wind up here too." Karen was leaning on a fence looking at them from one of the nearby yards.
"Don't sound too surprised," Misty complained under her breath. "I wasn't sure if you got sent here too or not. Sabrina just waved her hand at you and you disappeared."
Karen glowered. "That's about right. I woke up in the street with none of my Pokeballs working. I decided to check the houses and well…" her expression turned into a grimace. "You're probably not going to like what I found."
Dismay filling her at the other trainer's words, the gym leader carefully scooped up the unconscious Eevee and led the troop of Pokemon towards the house.
Inside it seemed pretty normal if a bit sparse on decorations. All the normal commodities of life. Misty wasn't sure what Karen had meant until they got to the dining room.
"Remember how that little girl kept talking about toys?" The dark-type specialist asked her rhetorically. "It seems she meant that literally." Around the table was a family of four. A classical nuclear family, a mother, a father, a son, and a daughter.
They were all made of plastic.
"We're in a giant dollhouse." Karen summed up, giving the mom a good whack and making her topple over.
"With no way out," Misty concluded and got a raised eyebrow from the other girl. "I had Pidgeotto fly up and try to get some bearings for us. She collided with some invisible wall in midair. I'm going to guess it completely surrounds this place."
"Makes sense and I hate it." she nodded. "Still, I feel like we should at least try walking out the normal way, if nothing else it keeps us from standing around waiting for something to happen."
Misty wanted to argue but she was right, it was better than doing nothing at least.
They marched out of the house and walked in silence for a bit. None of them (humans and Pokemon) were quite sure what to say in this situation.
Eventually, Karen asked, "what happened after that edgy excuse for a gym leader sent me here?"
"Ash and she battled." Misty started. "Actually, first he demanded where you went, and then she threatened him with the same." Nonverbally but the threat had been there.
"Huh," Karen spoke softly. "I didn't think… never mind, how'd that go? If you're all here I guess not great?"
"It looked like he and Eevee were going to win for a minute there," Misty noted. "Then just as Eevee was about to finish him off Abra evolved."
Karen quickly muttered something Misty couldn't catch but it sounded like something that would get her mouth washed with soap. "I hate it when that happens. Everything seems to be going in your favor and then bam! Suddenly your opponent has a second wind and hits harder than before."
"Is that a common problem?" Misty asked.
"Not really, but I have had it happen to me and seen it happen before. It's great when it happens on your side but otherwise, it's just painful." the older girl elaborated.
"It was pretty straightforward after that. Sabrina declared herself the winner and the next thing we know we're here without Ash and no one else in sight." Misty wrapped up.
"I can't say I have high hopes for him getting us out of here…" Karen worried. "But it's not like we have another choice if we can't get out on our own."
Misty glared at her. "You should have a bit more faith in him. Trust me, I know how he seems but he's shockingly good at problem-solving when he puts his mind to it. He's good at thinking outside the box."
"Pika pi, pika." Pikachu seemed to agree with her.
Soon enough, they reached the end of the street. In more ways than one.
The road just cut off once it passed the last houses. And beyond was… nothing.
At least it looked like nothing. Misty squinted into the inky void and couldn't see a thing, no movement, no nothing.
"That's that I guess." Karen sighed but Misty wasn't ready to give up that easily.
"Pikachu?" She got the electric-type's attention. "Thunder Bolt."
The electric mouse stared at her in surprise for a moment before grinning manically. He sparked with golden lightning and everyone else took a good few steps back.
The now familiar bolt of electricity slammed into the barrier like a freight train. The attack lasted for a good five seconds before Pikachu cut the power.
Immediately Misty stalked up the wall and inspected it. Not even a scratch. She wouldn't have known it had been attacked if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.
"Any more bright ideas?" Karen asked her disparagingly and the younger girl glared at her. Happy to have a deserving target to let some of her aggression out.
"I don't see you trying to do anything!" She snapped at her. "All you've done today is tell Ash he's not impressive, make fun of a guy who tried to warn us about Sabrina, and get yourself sent here before the battle even started! Did I miss anything?"
The blue-haired girl snorted at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, this coming from a gym leader who is on the same level as a brand-new trainer? That's rich. Besides, I didn't see you trying to do anything to get out of that gym."
"Ugh!" Misty would have thrown her arms up if she hadn't been holding Eevee. "Why do you even come with us? It's not like you like any of us! Ash only asked you along because he's nice like that. And based on everything I know about you let me guess, you're planning on trying to take advantage of that aren't you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Karen's eyes narrowed.
"Perhaps we might wish to calm down," Staryu suggested but Misty was on a roll.
"Don't play dumb. The only reason you're with us is that you want Ash as your Pokemon. You agreed to train him when he asked because you think you can either trick or convince him to join your team. I started following him because we were going the same way and he owed me a bike. But by the time I got home, I realized that he would get me a new bike whether I hounded him or not and I wanted to keep going with him because he was my friend and I liked him." the ginger girl ranted.
"What are you going to do when he refuses? Try and kidnap him like those Team Rocket lunatics? You know? The actual criminals we keep running into?" She demanded.
"You think so little of me that I'd try and just take him?" Karen had the gall to sound offended. "I admit it, I want him on my team and I bet with a bit more time I can convince him. But I'm not going to force him into it!"
As the two humans argued the Pokemon had been busy. Selene had taken a shot at the barrier with her Defense Curl bowling ball and then got into a discussion with Pikachu about how that move needed a proper name.
Pidgeotto had excused herself and said she was going to try and fly around the edge of the doll town and see if she could find any holes in the barrier. There had to be some way in and out right?
Squirtle had taken up attacking the barrier with Water Gun after Selene had taken her shot, but Sunny and Staryu were worriedly watching the two trainers argue.
"We need to stop them," Sunny whispered. "This is just going to get worse."
"I refuse to raise a limb against my fair trainer, but you are right this must stop."
Sunny thought hard, what would Eevee do… probably try and get involved in the argument and settle it herself. He didn't have that kind of faith in himself. Okay then, what would Ash do?
A thought struck him. "Staryu can you get use Psychic to get Eevee out of Misty's arms? It's not attacking her."
Staryu confirmed and the Charmander got Pikachu's attention for the next part of the plan.
The argument between the humans continued. "You could just respect his wishes, ever think of that?"
"He's a Pokemon!" Karen practically shouted as though that was the answer to everything. "He wants and deserves to get stronger and I can do that!"
"But it's his choice-" Misty cut herself off as Eevee glowed and lifted out of her arms. The two girls stared at the mysterious floating normal-type before being surrounded by a sparkling (and painful) yellow glow.
They collapsed on the ground twitching and Pikachu patted himself on the back for a job well done. "Problem solved."
"I may not have struck her directly but I still feel as though I have brought dishonor to my name." Staryu bemoaned having set Eevee down now.
Sunny had other concerns as he looked over the two humans. "That looked like it hurt more than I thought it would. Are they going to be okay?"
"They'll be fine." Karen spasmed and sparked some more. "Eventually," Pikachu concluded.
The fire-type seemed doubtful. "Don't worry, they'll be alright in a bit, hopefully, Ash will have figured out how to get us out of here by then."
"You seem pretty sure he'll save us," Squirtle noted.
Pikachu nodded, not a doubt in his mind. "Look I may make a lot of digs at him but he is the best Pokemon I know. He would find a way to move a mountain if it meant helping someone he didn't know. What do you think he'd do for us?"
With that closing thought, the group was to wait.
Ash had the advantage of completely catching Sabrina and Kadabra off guard.
The Night Daze he'd been building up crashed into the other Pokemon as he rushed forward. The psi Pokemon cried out and flailed as he was launched backward but Ash didn't pay him any more mind, he had eyes only for Sabrina.
Said gym leader had truly lost her composure by now. She flinched back on her throne, eyes wide and alarmed. The girl (or doll) on her lap did not move an inch though. The dark-haired woman waved her hand wildly a wave of pinkish-purple psychic energy arced toward Ash.
He didn't even slow down.
The wave harmlessly bounced off him and he leaped for the target of his newly found hatred.
"..." The doll (he could see for sure it was now) glowed.
A wall of earth erupted in front of him and he crashed into it. It hurt but he wasn't particularly worried about that right now. Climb or jump, which would get him to Sabrina faster?
Quickly he decided to jump on top of it and then use Quick Attack to launch himself toward her before she or that doll of hers could put another wall in his way.
He was dimly aware of Sabrina rambling as he prepped himself to jump on top of it. "Dark-type! A sickening abomination of void and nothing!" She practically howled, sounding a far cry from the coldly composed woman he had been battling before. "You're disgusting!"
"You're one to talk!" Ash shouted as he leaped. He glared down at Sabrina once he landed. "You talk a big game, you treat others like we're less than you." He hissed at her. "And the second something doesn't go your way you start freaking out!"
With that he used Quick Attack and shot downward like a bullet, intent on using Bite on either Sabrina or her toy. Both if he could help it.
This did not go according to plan though, as just before the manifested jaws could slam shut on her she vanished and Ash ended up taking a chunk out of her throne instead. He righted himself and darted his eyes around the room. Of course, she could teleport too, she could do it to others, so why not herself?
"You don't exist!" Her voice seemed to resonate. "You're nothing but a false entity with delusions of grandeur." Her tone seemed a bit calmer, not quite as controlled as before but no longer raving.
"Have you been talking to Staryu?" Ash asked almost automatically. Of course, she hadn't been but he'd wanted to make a jab at her. He went through his options. His best bet would probably be to get back on top of the earth wall and survey the room.
Before he could make this jump though, the wall exploded and what (in the brief second before it hit) seemed to be a Psybeam bounced off of him. As he stood processing that for a moment. The rubble of the wall lifted into the air, surrounded by a glow.
Ash looked past the floating rubble and saw Kadabra, back on his feet and looking in shockingly good condition considering he had just battled Eevee and then been hit almost point-blank by a Night Daze.
The other Pokemon's eyes glowed and he waved his spoon in a threatening gesture. The floating rubble began to rush towards Ash.
The Zorua once again made use of Quick Attack to get off the already damaged chair as it was completely obliterated by copious amounts of rock and dirt.
He rolled on the ground and as soon as he regained footing fired a Dark Pulse at Kadabra, but the psychic-type had already teleported away.
This left him spinning in a circle, eyes darting around, looking for any sign of movement.
Ash saw something flash out of the corner of his eye. Immediately he spun and shot another Dark Pulse at it. He barely had time to enjoy the satisfaction of hearing something cry out in pain (it sounded like Kadabra) before a rock clocked him in the back of the head.
"Does that count as a rock-type move?" He muttered in a daze as he shook the fuzz out of his head. So far he'd only been attacked by rocks moved psychically, which meant either Kadabra did not know Miracle Eye or hadn't had enough time to concentrate.
If it was the latter, Ash couldn't afford to give him a chance to do so.
A slight sound of air displacing was all the warning Ash got as Kadabra teleported once more. The psychic-type loomed over him and the spoon in his hand glowed.
The dirt around him writhed and began building itself up around him. Barely thinking Ash used Night Daze again. It was a poor decision on Kadabra's part to teleport right on top of him, or perhaps Sabrina had made the call?
Either way, it put him right in the line of fire for Ash's strongest attack.
Kadabra fell backward and the dirt around him settled but he didn't have much time to celebrate. A boulder was currently flying at him, from behind where Kadabra had been standing. Had the other Pokemon been a distraction?
If it was possible for him to hate Sabrina anymore he probably would. He couldn't say he was fond of Kadabra but using him as bait was just cruel.
With the dirt around him making it harder to dodge, Ash rushed the boulder and poured his energy into using Revenge.
The boulder cracked under the fighting-type move. It still hurt to break through it but probably not as much as it would have if he'd been smashed into the ground with it.
He breathed hard and whirled, Sabrina had to be watching the fight somehow right? Was she still in the room or was she somewhere else? What could her powers do exactly? She could teleport herself and other people. She could use psychic attacks of some sort, and presumably read minds and communicate directly like that.
As Ash considered this he saw Kadabra glow. Not the same hue as the normal psychic attacks that he was fast growing used to, this one was tinted green. As he watched Kadabra got back up and faced him once more.
"Was that Recover?" Ash asked dumbly. He couldn't think of anything else it could be unless Sabrina had healing abilities too.
"Yes." Kadabra confirmed in a strangely detached tone. The broken bits of boulder began to move and then crashed into Ash.
It hurt. A lot. Ash buckled under the pressure and pain but refused to go down. The burning feelings inside him refused to go out. He growled and Leered at Kadabra and used Revenge again to dislodge the rocks surrounding himself.
Forcing Quick Attack through his limbs he charged the other Pokemon and used Bite. Then used it again, and again, and again. Every chomp he pictured one of his friends in horrible pain and danger, surrounded by devouring shadows, being buried alive in a desert, drowning in a bottomless sea.
He didn't stop his assault until Kadabra was down on the ground, completely unmoving and unconscious. He couldn't use Recover if he wasn't awake.
Unless he knew Sleep Talk.
Ash really hoped he didn't know Sleep Talk.
He stared for a moment at the unmoving Pokemon but he didn't get back up. That didn't mean the fight was over though.
Ash slowly moved away from Kadabra, glancing around for a sign of anything being flung at him psychically or any other Pokemon that Sabrina might have.
"Where are you!" He demanded. "Show yourself."
"The toy still makes demands?" Her voice echoed over the battlefield.
"Shut up!" He shouted patience and kindness far from his mind right now. "Get out here right now and I'll show you what an 'abomination' like me can do."
"I will not dirty my hands with you," Sabrina claimed and Ash snorted.
"Yeah, instead you'll hide and have Kadabra fight me, while you throw boulders at me."
"It is an efficient strategy." She insisted. Ash's eyes trailed along the edges of the room, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. It couldn't be behind him the rubble wouldn't let it echo like that…
"You're a coward," Ash told her. "You called me disgusting and for what? Because you can't use your powers on me? Because you don't get to use me however you want?" He had to get her to talk more, if she was in the room he could find her.
"It is fate." Her voice still echoed. Where? Where was she? "I was victorious and I take my prizes."
"How did you even get to be a gym leader?" He asked, both to keep her talking and because he was genuinely curious.
"The league saw what I could do, how special I was. I easily demolished the pathetic gym that existed before mine." She sounded almost smug. Quite prideful wasn't she? Ash's eyes trailed up, carefully not moving his head.
If he were a spiteful and insane gym leader with psychic powers, he'd bet he would put himself up high and look down on his opponent. She sat on a throne during the proper battle after all…
"With only one Pokemon?"
"They offered me more. They were unrequired. I can shift any battle into my favor." She announced. Somewhere in the shadows above there had to be a balcony, but where was it? He'd only get one shot before she would teleport away.
"You mean like your battle with Eevee and I?" Ash prodded feeling a bit spiteful himself. "We were winning that battle. We would have won if Abra hadn't evolved."
"It was fate," Sabrina repeated, his eye focused on a single spot in the upper room. It sounded like it came from there.
"Who decides fate?" Ash asked and fired Dark Pulse.
The attack vanished into the shadows and Ash was rewarded with a shriek of pain and fear as part of the wall came down. Sabrina appeared falling amongst the rubble that must have been a balcony, her doll falling nearby.
All of it froze in midair as her hands glowed. She must have stopped the fall. Not having the luxury of waiting, Ash immediately ran forward, his burning desire to make her hurt until she gave him his friends back helping him ignore the pain.
He jumped onto the lowest hanging piece of rubble and kept leaping from piece to piece up to Sabrina. As he made the final jump Night Daze pulsed around him and crashed into the gym leader.
She cried out in pain and the pieces of wall and balcony crashed into the ground, Ash landed and kept rushing her.
The woman glared up at him with scorn in her eyes and swung her hand in a striking gesture. A wave of dirt leaped up at him and he had to back peddle to avoid being buried.
"..." He barely had any warning as the rubble floated back into the air and began flying at him, one piece at a time, the next ones already in motion as he dodged the previous ones.
Ash saw the doll, floating in midair and glowing like the rocks. That thing seemed to almost have a mind of its own.
Another spike of dirt reared itself in front of him and he had to change his course. He powered through a Revenge on a rock that would have cracked his skull open otherwise and raced towards the doll.
The masonry built itself up in front of it but another well-timed Revenge saw him through it. The doll's eyes glowed like flashlights now that he saw it up close. Whatever it was he used Bite and chomped through it.
Sabrina shrieked behind him as though it had been her that had been hit with the attack. The pieces of the doll fell to the ground with him and the floating rubble soon followed.
He turned to face Sabrina, the gym leader was clutching her head. She began hysterically sobbing and screaming.
"How could you! You want to take my toys I won't let you! You aren't real you're not here you're not doing this! STOP STOP STOP!" She babbled almost incoherently and Ash forced himself to use Quick Attack once again, intent on closing the distance between them.
As he neared her the wall behind her exploded in a shower of stone. Immediately he turned tail and ran out of the crashing concrete before it could crush him into an abnormally furry pancake.
After he had run halfway across the field he turned again and fired a Dark Pulse once more.
In the midst of the collapsed wall, Sabrina kneeled, completely unharmed. His attack collided with a barrier surrounding her and it cracked slightly. "You shouldn't be here, how dare you come here and do this?" She rambled, apparently at him.
"How dare I?" Ash's rage flared once more. "How dare you." He fired another Dark Pulse and stomped forward. The shield cracked more.
"What gives you the right to treat people like playthings? What gives you the right to lord your powers over them like some kind of god? What gives you the right hurt people for no reason other than your entertainment?" With each question, he fired another Dark Pulse and the shield shattered into nothing as he reached her.
"Because- because I'm special." She sniffed and looked up at him. She was a far cry from the stoic gym leader sitting on the other side of the battlefield. Her hair was disheveled, her uniform was torn and dusty, and tears and snot streamed down her face.
"What does that mean?" Ash demanded. "You're special? Why? Because you have powers? Well, Pikachu's special because he's my best friend and the strongest electric-type ever. Pidgeotto's special because she was my first new teammate and is going to be the fastest Pokemon in the world! Selene is special because she chose to come with me without even needing to be asked and cares for all of us with all her heart!"
He could have stopped there but kept going. "Sunny is special because despite everything that's happened to him he's still trying his best every day! Eevee is special because she's super smart and makes sure to ask questions about everything, Misty is special because she's the best gym leader from Cerulean City and my best human friend!"
"IS THAT NOT SPECIAL ENOUGH?" He screamed and realized that now he was crying. "Why did you take them away? What did you do to them?" Ash demanded. "Give them back!" He sobbed.
"Please!" He begged. "Please. Just give them back." The burning fire finally died and all he was left with was a longing for his friends.
"I- I-" Sabrina stuttered and they both sat there sobbing for a moment. "I didn't-" She sniffed. "I just wanted-"
"You just wanted friends." A gruff voice filled in the blanks.
Ash forced himself to look up and saw a man carefully picking through the rubble. "I know Sabrina. I know."
It took Ash's half-delirious mind to recognize the man as the one sitting outside who had warned them against coming in.
"Daddy?" Sabrina stuttered, sounding like a child. Confusion managed to cut through Ash's misery for a moment.
He looked down at her sadly. "Oh, Sabrina what have you done to yourself?" He bent down and hugged her tight and she began sobbing all over again. "I know it hurts, but it's not right, you shouldn't split yourself like that. You shouldn't have felt like the only way you could make yourself stop feeling alone was to force people to play."
"They just leave!" Sabrina sobbed. "They all leave! Even you left!"
"I never left." He pulled away and looked her in the eye. "I've been right outside, every day. But I was a coward." He spit the word out. "Please, Sabrina. Just let it go, you don't have to be alone, but you can't do it at the expense of other people. That's not friendship."
"I didn't want to hurt them," Sabrina whispered. "I just wanted to play."
"This isn't the way Sabrina. This hurts people. You can't keep going like this. Now rest, I'll still be here, I promise." He put his hand on her head for a moment and Sabrina's eyes closed. She collapsed like her strings were cut.
The man looked down at her, eyes full of regret and sorrow. "I wish…" He sighed. "I don't know."
He looked at Ash. "Gotta say kid, that was quite the fight there."
"You saw that?" He asked blearily.
"Sabrina had to get her powers from someone." He tapped his head, "but her powers outstrip mine vastly."
"How did…" 'She turn out like this' Is what Ash wanted to ask but wasn't sure how to form the words.
"Her powers developed young." Sabrina's father told him. "And they were strong, but it was hard for her to control them. Her mother and I did our best to make sure she knew she was loved and nothing was wrong with her. But the message gets a bit skewed when every kid her age she meets calls her a freak and runs away from her."
Ash listened not sure what to say. "So I told her that there was nothing wrong with her. That she was special. That one day she would have all the friends she could ever want." He shook his head.
"I'm not sure when it happened exactly, but she got it into her head that being special meant she would get everything she wanted. No matter what. She split her personality, and put all of her childish wants and desires into that doll." He gestured at the broken thing on the ground.
"She wanted to keep me and her mother close because she loved us so she shrunk us down and put us in this little toy town she made. I used my powers to get out and tried to get my wife but she clamped down on her as soon as I was free. I haven't been able to get her out since. Even with all the trainers I've pulled out of there." He looked at Ash.
"Whose the villain here Zorua?" He asked mournfully. "Yes, I know what you are, saw one of you when I was a kid. Is Sabrina the villain for internalizing her loneliness and misinterpreting my words? Is it me for trying to make my little girl feel better when she came home crying? Is it the league for giving her this gym after she proved how capable a battler she was?" He gestured around.
"I…" Ash spoke. "I hate her." The words tasted like ashes in his mouth. "I know I shouldn't. Even if she might deserve it. But she did this. She took my friends, she's been taking other people and hurting them. We met a boy at the Pokemon Center, he was so scared." He paused.
"I don't want to hate her." Ash decided. "But I do." He looked at the man. "Is that wrong?"
The man sighed. "No, I suppose not." He picked up his daughter in a bridal carry. "Come on, I'll take you to where she sent your friends and get them out for you."
Ash was led through a few hallways to another large room. There was a throne in this room too and a large table with what seemed to be a miniature town on it.
Sabrina was carefully laid on the floor and the man cracked his knuckles. "Alright, this is my one chance to put a stop to this thing for good."
He held his hands over the town and they glowed. The table started to shake, and Ash took a nervous step forward, worried.
After a few moments, the table stopped shaking, then a series of popping noises filled the room.
Relief did not begin to describe what Ash felt when he saw his friends appear. They seemed startled and confused at the sudden change and Ash rushed them as fast as his injured body could carry him.
He crashed full speed into Pikachu who let out a startled yelp. Ash didn't pay it any mind, instead, he did his best to nuzzle, hug and sniff his best friend all at the same time. "You're okay, I'm so glad you're okay, you are okay right?" He stepped back and gave Pikachu a once-over.
Pidgeotto answered as Pikachu recovered from the unexpected cuddle session. "We're alright, well…" She glanced at the slightly crispy forms of Misty and Karen. "Mostly alright. Misty used a potion on Eevee too but she's still unconscious."
Ash barely restrained a sob of relief.
"Forget about us for a second." Pikachu pushed Ash off and gave him a once-over. "Are you okay?"
"You look like you fought a rock slide." Selene pointed out.
It was around this point that Ash realized how much pain he was in. "Uhhh…" He started listing to the side.
"I got you!" Sunny popped in to help support him. "Pikachu said you'd get us out!"
"What did I tell ya?" Pikachu smirked at Squirtle.
"Ugh…" Misty sat up rubbing her head. "What happened?" She looked around the room, and she saw a table with a bunch of ruined buildings on it, Ash with a pile of Pokemon, Sabrina passed out by the door, and the bearded man from earlier hugging a woman she'd never seen before.
Karen got up next to her. "I feel like we missed a few things."
The whole group traveled back to the Pokemon Center. Ash and Eevee were carried by Misty, and Sabrina by her parents. Karen had offered to carry Ash but Misty, remembering their argument decided to bear the burden of both.
Their arrival raised a lot of questions from Nurse Joy, none of which were easy to answer. Eventually, rather than trying to invent some ridiculous lie, Misty pulled rank.
"I'm a gym leader from Cerulean City." She flashed her card. "This is league business, please just take care of these Pokemon." She plopped Ash and Eevee on the counter, "Also check on that woman," Misty pointed at Sabrina. "And make sure she stays sedated."
"Umm." Nurse Joy sucked in her lips and stared. "I'm sorry, I've never had something like this happen before." She slapped her cheeks a couple of times either to clear the fog or psych herself up, possibly both.
"Right." She was all business now. "I'll make sure these two get taken care of. Chansey!" She called back. "Can you get a stretcher out? A human-sized one."
As the injured were taken into the back Misty heaved a sigh and plopped herself in a nearby chair.
A possibly insane gym leader, a destroyed gym, Karen, and more people seeing Ash in his real form!
How the heck was she supposed to clean up this mess?
Whooo boy that was a Wild ride.
The Sabrina fight was supposed to be one chapter. But I realized how good it split after Ash got left alone and thought both chapters would hit harder if I split them. So I did.
But yes, at long last Ash got to personally battle a gym leader. Literally! I've had this planned in one form or another for a while. At least since Cerulean, possibly earlier.
Sabrina is messed up. This is a fact. At least in the anime. Psychic powers + bullying + loneliness = DANGER.
Game Sabrina is significantly tamer, although if I remember correctly her original sprite had a whip. Manga Sabrina is a member of Team Rocket, which is… fun. And Electric Tale of Pikachu Sabrina is a kind shrine maiden who wants to capture or defeat a high-level Haunter who killed her Pokemon when she was child.
One of these things is not like the others.
We finally see the darker side of Ash in this chapter. Fitting the way to unleash it is by making all his friends disappear in front of his eyes. More on that front coming up.
I will say though, that I like to keep things fairly lighthearted in my stories. I don't like deep diving into piles of angst. If angst exists in a story I feel it needs to have a point. A payoff of some sort. And there needs to be joy afterward.
In a lot of cases, I feel I'm in a different world than some authors. Who gleefully talk about torturing their characters and teasing their readers with pain and angst. I don't get it. I don't take joy in it. I take joy in seeing my readers light up with imagination and spiraling theories.
But adversity needs to exist in a story. There must be challenge, the heroes can't just plow through everything and be completely untouchable. So sometimes I have to throw something at them that will hurt them. I don't always have to like it and when I am throwing the hammer at someone's kneecap you better believe I'm already planning how they're gonna take that hammer and whack someone who deserves it.
Alright that's enough rambling.
Lot's of reviews, I'll split them by chapter.
Chapter 23:
Shaonics6: The evolution talk was me taking an opportunity to do some world building. Ash is fairly mature already in this story but he has some room for more. As for evolution… hm.
The one who reads and writes: I haven't put too much thought into the eventually D&D inspired spin off but another review suggest Beguiler from 3rd edition as the class for Ash. Big brain Eevee is an accurate description lol. Eevee and Pikachu still haven't sorted their difficulties, been a bit busy the past two chapters. Foreshadowing? In my story?
Kitsuneswiftpaw: It is incredibly convenient that I just got a copy of the player's handbook for DnD 3rd edition!
LEGOBRICK13: Glad someone else really liked Violet and Scarlet. I agree on the voice acting front by the way. I tend to keep the sound off unless theres a track I want to listen to just because of the lack of voices. Also glad you like the path the stories taking with some of the cast!
Pecan Crisp: I feel like it's canon. I swear I remember someone in there mentioning it used to be the gym. Good idea! Ash will evolve in 25 years! (am I serious? Who knows?)
Greatazuredragon: You are most welcome!
Rosescientist: I'm really glad to hear you like what I've done with Misty. Lot's of little things have added up to where she is now and I like how it's turned out. She's a lot more abrasive and even a little mean in the anime. But we see time and again she is much nicer to Pokemon, so Ash being a Pokemon is just the first pebble that tumbles down the mountainside. Also I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "Demilitarisierungen" I doubt you're referring to the demilitarization of Germany.
Diatomic Rex: Welcome back to the Pokemon world! I'm glad you like how I've written Ash so far. My goal has always been to have him recognizable as Ash, while also making sure not to lose sight of the fact he's a Pokemon. I honestly never put thought into Misty doing contests, she never seemed to type to me considering her sisters nearly had to force her to play a mermaid in one of their shows. I have thought about having Ash give it a go though, maybe I could run the whole group through it.
UU Two: Not quite defunct, they'll still keep going. Mine certainly will! Karen certainly has an ego problem. We've already seen it start rearing it's ugly head!
Azuredragon363: How can you say something so controversial yet so brave?
Chapter 24:
ThePilotArchangel: Ash has known Night Daze. For awhile actually. He used it when training with Pikachu way back in Pewter City! Also you win the bet!
Lupercus1944: New year same story! Glad you like the banter. I want the characters to be characters the audience likes and wants to see succeed and adventure. He's just one kid of many. Plot Armor is powerful armor, but it can be a bit ugly looking. Misty just doesn't like Karen and Karen gave her the opportunity to sass her. I can neither confirm nor deny Selene's reading habits.
LEGOBRICK13: Sabrina does not like dark-types lol. Also no that is not the same Roark. I forgot that Roark even existed! I have been kicking myself since, this is the second time this has happened. For future context please imagine this Roark with messy blond hair, yeah that sounds good. Ash is an angry boy in this chapter.
Phaleon: There is a satisfaction to the protagonist going ape on the bad guy isn't there?
Kitsuneswiftpaw: A BIG oopsie doopsie.
Skullkingvon: I apologize but I thought it would make this chapter feel more satisfying.
Greatazuredragon: No more evolutions today.
BrokenLifeCycle:Sabrina can feel her sins crawling on her back.
Pokemonever1994: Honestly this is an amazing description.
The one who reads and writes: YES HE DID! It can get kind of annoying when people treat Ash like he doesn't know anything and it gets worse when Ash acts like he doesn't know anything. Iris is a bit complicated. I have mixed feelings on her. Mixed to positive since she has her moments. You've actually done a good job here of describing everyones fighting styles. The issue is Ash didn't know his friends were fine, all he knows is they disappeared and this crazy lady said they belonged to her. That is not okay. We'll see the wrap up for all this next chapter.
And that's all for now. Not sure if I can pump another chapter out this weekend but it's coming either this weekend or next. Until then!
~FriTik
R&R