Gina Oak's eyes felt heavy as they opened to the spinning fan that hung from the ceiling of what she recognized was a room in the Pokémon Center in Saffron City. She was slow to rise from the bed and take in her surroundings, still unsure if she was within the dreamscape woven by the repressed mind of a lonely Gym Leader. More so when she saw Ash's Pikachu sleeping over in the next bed.

Some discrepancies had allowed her to break through the veil each time before. For example, she hated tea when she had been little. It was only once she had gotten older and tried some of her Grandfather's imported brands that she began to acquire a taste for it. The thing that had been tampering with her memories couldn't quite account for that and so her older preferences didn't mesh with her younger self when she began to think about it.

But, in those last few moments, something had changed. Rather than her being the child, it had been Sabrina. She had seen Sabrina as she went through her life and felt what she had. Her struggles, her endeavors, her reasons—Gina had experienced them firsthand. It was chaotic enough that she wasn't sure if one of them finally had a mental breakdown or it was a different attempt at trying to rework her memories.

Even now, the only reason was convinced that she wasn't inside another dream world this time was because she heard the soft whine coming next to her. "A-Ab…?"

She turned her head to spot Abra there. He was weakly clutching a spoon that trembled in his grasp as he craned his head in her direction. She felt his probe upon her mind and the soft inquiry that was so pitiful that there was no doubt in her mind. It was her Abra and this was the waking world.

"Abra, you look horrible…" She noticed how saggy the area around his eyes were and how weak he seemed. Not to mention the tear trails. "Don't tell me you stayed up all this time?"

The Psi Pokémon dropped his spoon and instead raised his arms towards her, though they were weak and shaking. It was as if he wanted to make sure she was real. That she had returned after being gone for so long.

Gina immediately hugged him, even as she scolded him. "You're in so much trouble. You know better than to stay up late, even if you were worried about me. And I'm betting you didn't get permission for any of these spoons either."

He started crying. "Abbbbrrraaa… hic. Abbbb…hic…"

"No amount of crying is going to stop me from scolding you later on," she said while rocking him as he cried. She could only imagine how hard he tried to reach out to her until now, only for her mind to remain closed off. She may as well have been dead to him. "…I'm fine now, so it's time for you to go to bed. Okay?"

She used one of her hands to gather the spoons off the bed. Then she used the space to lay her Abra down. His claws reached out and grabbed her hand before she could get away, as if scared she wouldn't be there when he opened his eyes again.

"Don't worry, I'll be here when you wake up," she promised him in both words and thoughts as she placed that hand on his chest. "Sleep well, Abra."

Then she waited until she felt his breathing grow slower and felt his presence in her mind fade away. Sleep took him once more after only a scant few minutes. Then she heard the door open.

"Gina—" She turned and held one finger to her lips before Misty could finish speaking, craning her head towards Abra now that he had finally gone to sleep. The message carried as Misty quietly walked over and spoke in hushed whispers. "You're awake now?"

"Yeah. How long has it been since the match?"

"Around a day or so," Misty said. "Abra wouldn't leave your side and hid his poké ball from us. The only reason he had about an hour's worth of sleep was because Ash's Haunter used Hypnosis. Even then he went right back to grabbing his spoon when he woke up."

"I might have spoiled him if he misbehaved like that when I'm not around," she said, though her words were gentle. It was nice that he cared that much about her as his Trainer, but she wasn't happy he basically disobeyed her standing order to listen to Misty. "Where is Ash now?"

"He went to battle Sabrina," Misty explained. "It was the only way to free you as soon as possible. The fact that you're awake now means that he must've won. I'll go tell Brock."

"I'll meet you outside in a bit," Gina told her, not wanting to wake Abra or Pikachu by having the discussion in the room with them. The news of Ash catching a Haunter and facing that little monster left her worried that the brat had let slip something that she didn't want him to know. But that was secondary compared to her concern for her pokémon.

Once she made sure that Abra was deep in his slumber enough that she could slip out of his grasp, Gina quietly slipped out of the room. Misty and Brock were waiting for her there. "Tell me everything that happened while I was unconscious."

They gave her a solid enough summary of what transpired. She had her mind taken during the match was left essentially comatose while Sabrina's Father tried to reach her, which she managed to recall after some mild effort. There had been many times where the Shadow had wiped her memory once something went wrong because Gina kept piecing together something was off about the situation—but every time she gained a little more of a foothold, learning a little more about her.

Finding out about Ash had just hastened the pace. "I can't believe that idiot went all the way to Lavender Town alone just to catch a pokémon to free me. And, from the sound of it, he barely managed at that."

"It was reckless," Brock agreed. "But I understand why he did it. You two have known each other for a long time now. There was no way he could just sit back and wait for someone else to help you, even if we told him to. The best we could do was take as many precautions as possible."

"Maybe, but still…" Her heartbeat grew louder in her chest as she trailed off, lost for words. "All things considered, he'll probably be running to get back and check on me. I don't want him barging in to wake Abra, so do you mind if I use the other room to talk to him. Alone?"

Brock inclined his head for a moment in thought. Then he raised it and nodded. "No problem. Take as much time as you need."

Once he passed her the keycard for the boy's room, Gina went down the hall and leaned against the railing as she waited for Ash to return. Considering he was likely running to get here to check up on her, she didn't think it would be too long before he popped in. She had just enough time to ask herself a single question:

'What is Ash to me?'

[-oOo-]

'What is Gina to me?'

That question loitered in Ash's mind as he rode up the elevator to the floor where their rooms were. He was tired, a light ringing in his head while he could feel his brain pounding in his skull. Sweat left his undershirt clinging to his chest as it rose and fell rapidly from his run from the Gym to here.

The entire time he could only think of what happened to her. He could only wonder if he had been too late. He could only fear that when she woke up, she would be a different person entirely. The thought that she was no longer the person he grew up with was enough to leave his chest in pain and that spurred his legs into moving regardless of how tired he was.

Once the elevator came to a stop, he barreled out of it and was prepared to run down the hallway until he spotted Gina standing outside of their room. She held her thumb to her chin while deep in thought. His breath was caught in his throat as he struggled to call out her name. "G-Gina…?"

Her head snapped up and her gaze fell onto him. Then she sighed. "I knew it. You really did run all the way here, didn't you?"

It was her. Her tone. Her annoyed expression. It was all that he expected of her. Relief flooded him as he moved forward. "You're okay."

"And you look even worse than Abra did," she said plainly as she rose from her perch against the wall and grabbed him by the wrist. "Honestly, you and he both worried too much. I can take care of myself, you know?"

She opened the door and pulled him inside. The room was empty, so Ash guessed that Brock and Misty were in the other room. That meant that it was just the two of them. He recalled the words the Shadow mentioned and tried to broach the question carefully. "Um… Gina—"

"Go take a shower," Gina said abruptly, tossing him a change of underwear and then pushing him into the bathroom in the adjacent room before he could process what was happening.

It was only after she shut the door that he managed to get the words out. "Gina, listen. I… I wanted to ask you something that I heard from Sabrina's Shadow."

The other side of the door remained silent for a prolonged pause before a small voice came through. "…That brat told you, didn't she? About how I feel…"

He felt his pulse quicken. "So, it's true then?"

"It's stupid," Gina continued. "I didn't even the chance to accept it myself and she told you."

He could hear her slide down the other side of the door, probably to curl up onto her knees but also to keep him inside. She didn't want him to see her face right now. Her pride had been hurt by the fact that something she kept locked away was told against her will. "I'm sorry."

A bitter laugh escaped her mouth. "For what? Pulling me out of the mess I got myself in. One wrong move and you would have ended up worse than me. From what Brock and Misty told me, I can't even blame the Gym Leader herself since it was beyond her control—just the wrong place at the wrong time."

She may have had a point. It was just pure rotten luck that Sabrina had lost control then, which was why it was so hard to see her lying there and crying when their match was over. That was probably why Haunter stayed behind for the moment—attempting to cheer her up.

"The funny thing is, our parents knew before we did when I think about it," Gina added. "They knew all along."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I thought back to when we first got our pokémon. I wanted… you to ask me to come along with you. Not just because I was trying to be nice, but because I wanted to set out together with you since it was a big day. But I made it into a competition and… I just couldn't back down…"

"…Oh. I didn't realize that."

"But Gramps knew, from how he spoke. Then there was how your mom phrased things between us back in the hotel. Both of them saw through me, but they wanted to let me wait until I realized it myself. When I was ready to accept it or made peace with myself and what I wanted…"

Her voice was hoarse, yet fragile. It was difficult to listen to and didn't suit her at all. At least that was what he thought. "What do you want, Gina?"

"Hmm…" There was a pregnant pause between his question and the inquisitive rumble in her throat. She was taking time to really think it through, to formulate an answer for someone asking her. "I… I think I want everything."

A scoff slipped out of Ash's mouth at that. He was expecting something…more profound if he had to put it into words. Different. But no. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I want to be the best Pokémon Trainer in Kanto. I want to face and defeat the Elite Four. I want to overtake the Champion and be recognized as a Pokémon Master. I want to help Gramps with his Pokédex research. And…"

He waited for her to continue while thinking about what she had said so far. Both of them shared the dream of being the best trainer. And while he couldn't say he really wanted to help Professor Oak to the same extent she did, Ash was grateful for Dexter. He wouldn't mind helping however he could along the way.

"Last, is that I…" she hesitated once more. He could hear her take a deep breath to steel herself. "I want you to acknowledge my feelings for you, Ash."

Now it was his turn to hesitate. His turn to be thankful for the fact that the door was between them so he couldn't see her face while she waited for an answer. "What do you mean by acknowledging your feelings? We're talking about them now, aren't we?"

"I've been terrified of asking you. But now, I think I'm terrified of never asking how it is you feel about me. I feel like I won't be able to move on unless I let you know how I feel—even if it's a rejection or acceptance."

It brought back up the first question: What was Gina to Ash?

He still didn't have an answer. So, he settled for putting his thoughts into words as carefully as possible. "I… don't know what answer to give you because I haven't thought about it, Gina. You've always been both my best friend and my rival. Yet, when you wouldn't wake up it felt like I had to do something, no matter the risk."

He would have done whatever it took to save her, even at the risk of himself. But only himself. He didn't want to drag Pikachu or the others into that match, since if they lost it would have only made things worse for everyone else.

"I don't want to say one thing only to regret it later on either, so I can't reject or accept your confession right now. But I do acknowledge that you care about me, and I care about you," Ash finished. "Is that good enough for the moment?"

The only response he obtained was silence. But when he really listened through the door, Ash could hear the faint sound of crying. He was too afraid to ask if they were tears of sorrow or tears of acceptance.

"…You shouldn't have even known about it yet, so that's fine for now," Gina said eventually, gathering herself together. He could hear the door shift as she sat up, but he didn't dare open it. He wanted to avoid seeing the expression she was making. "But I am going to ask you again someday, Ash. Until then, can we pretend it never happened and continue to the Indigo Conference without holding anything back?"

"Sure thing." Ash didn't think it was possible to pretend the conversation never happened. But at the very least he could try to do so. For her and the sake of their dreams. "And the next time you ask, I'll try to have an answer for you. I promise."

Footfalls. The opening and closing of a door. She had left the room, leaving Ash with his thoughts while in the bathroom. He felt the tension in his body bleed out as he leaned his head back and stared at the light above, thinking about things as they are now.

[-oOo-]

The day came and went. Night followed shortly afterward. Then it was the next morning.

Gina received her first surprise when she found that her Abra had evolved over the course of the night. The Psi Pokémon himself seemed surprised as he stared at himself in a mirror within the room, after struggling to get out of bed since he was unfamiliar with the concept of having to walk on his own. He would need time to adapt before he was of any practical use in battle, but at least his hard work had paid off once he actually got some sleep.

She was proud of him. Upset that he'd nearly worked himself to the point of being sleep deprived. But proud all the same.

The second surprise came after an apology to the cafeteria staff over their missing silverware and breakfast. That was when they received a message that the Saffron City Gym Leader wished to meet with the collective group via Haunter popping in through the floor of the Pokémon Center with a note pulled from his mouth. Gina had thought of questioning how it managed to shift the density of the solid material to be as incorporeal as it was, but she already had enough things to wrack her brain over.

The decision on whether to go was ultimately left up to Gina, given she had been the victim in all of this. She naturally was the first out of the door to head towards the Gym, since there were many things that she wanted to talk to Sabrina about. She didn't run from a confrontation.

So, they returned to the hive of chrome and silver that was the Gym. It had been closed for the time being, so there were no other trainers or challengers when they entered. Only Sabrina's Father, who greeted them warmly at the entrance as Haunter promptly drifted through the ceiling upwards.

"Thank you all for coming," he said. "I understand you must all feel uncomfortable given the situation before, so it means a lot to Sabrina that you would show up."

"We understand that the situation wasn't normal, despite still having some reservations," Brock confessed. "I personally understand how stressful it can be as a former Gym Leader, even before factoring in her unique circumstances."

"How is she doing now?" Misty inquired.

"The possession of her Shadow and the resulting battle put an immense amount of strain on not only herself but her Kadabra as well. But, with enough rest, they will both recover. She wanted to meet with you all before you left off, to offer her personal apologies and keep the promises that were made. If you'll follow me, please."

They crowded into the elevator at his behest and took it to the highest floor, where they found the office that Sabrina called her own. The Gym Leader was sitting opposite a desk, her expression a mixture of perplexed and relieved as Haunter fiddled with a potted plant in a corner. She bid them a fond welcome and waited for them to all take a seat before she spoke.

"First, let me apologize personally for everything that transpired," she began. "What happened not only caused you an extreme amount of discomfort but was also a violation that is understandably difficult to overlook. There are no words to express just how regretful I am over what happened, especially if it's caused any… issues, between the two of you."

Gina looked over to Ash and noticed he was bouncing back and forth between trying to decide on whether or not he should be meeting their gaze. To his credit, he was making an effort. Gina appreciated that because she really did want things to at least come close to how they were beforehand.

Still, she also recognized there was no lack of sincerity in Sabrina's tone. It had not only been an embarrassment for her but left an impression that the fear of psychics was justified. She had inadvertently become the very thing she was fighting against.

"Once Agatha arrives, I'll be judged for what happened," she continued. "I don't know if this will remain valid, but… you have earned this, Ash Ketchum."

Her father presented a badge case to Ash. It held within it a golden pin that looked like a pendulum used by hypnotists. That was the Marsh Badge in its current iteration, a change from the previous iteration when it was a fighting gym.

Ash gingerly picked it up, shelving his uncertainty about them for his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. "You're giving this to me?"

Sabrina nodded, a slight look of relief on her face. She must have been worried he wouldn't accept it. "Using my psychic abilities to bolster Kadabra's own was not only a violation of the rules but increased the difficulty of the match in question. Yet you still prevailed. In keeping with the promise that was made and because I feel you are more than qualified for it, it is yours. I would also offer one to Miss Oak, but—"

"I'd never accept it," Gina finished. "Our battle never concluded, unlike with Ash. I'd rather get the other badges and make this one my eighth one with my Kadabra. After all, only by overcoming you at your best will my pride be salvaged."

"And I would welcome that challenge to the best of my ability," Sabrina said, meeting her gaze. "You deserve it."

"That's nice and all, but Agatha is coming to pass judgment on what happened," Misty said. "If the validity is called into question, then…"

"You're right," the Gym Leader admitted. "That's why I will do everything in my power to ensure that at the very least I can keep the Gym operational until the Indigo Conference deadline. If I agree to surrender the Gym after that willingly, the PIA will be more than happy since it means no more complaints will be coming from it and they can reinstate the Fighting Gym next year."

A compromise. In exchange for willingly stepping down rather than all of the paperwork and judicial effort to close down the Gym for one that was less trouble, she was willing to simply surrender it without a fight. All so that Ash could have his badge remain valid along with the other Gym Challengers who made it this far. Looking at the conflicted expression that took form on Ash's face, Gina could see that he also realized that.

"Are you really okay with that?" Gina asked bluntly, catching her eyes. "Even if it is out of gratitude for what he did, you're only running away from everything you put effort into since you were a kid."

Sabrina looked away at that. "It's the best that I can do right now."

"No, it isn't," Gina countered, leaning out of her chair and then slamming her hands on her desk in a way that caused everyone to jump. "It's going back on every step of progress that you've made because you slipped up without knowing how to make amends. So, you're trying to do what makes us happy at the detriment of your own goals, rather than fight tooth-and-nail to make sure that you keep the gym. That's not what either of us wants."

"…It's the only way I can guarantee that your efforts weren't in vain," Sabrina confessed, her hair somewhat disheveled from the sudden motion. "If I fight back and lose then they'll happily invalidate everything anyway. Not just for you, but everyone else who earned my badge."

Gina shrugged. "And what of it? We're trainers. Even if we have to go out of our way for a ninth or tenth badge to make it to the conference, we will. That's what it means to be committed to a goal, overcoming every obstacle in your path. You knew that too at some point, didn't you?"

It wasn't really a question. It was a fact. She had been in her head when they were connected, her life flashing before Gina's eyes before she returned to the waking world. It must've been when Haunter had done whatever he had. But because of that she knew Sabrina's ambitions and her goals and found them… relatable.

That was part of why she wouldn't let her surrender it all like this. Not to try to coddle their emotions. Even though Gina hated that her Shadow told Ash how she felt, that shouldn't be the reason that she threw everything away.

Sabrina's gaze fixed onto Gina's for a long moment. Then she sighed exasperatedly before brushing a hand through her hair. "So, the connection went both ways after all. No wonder she… I chose you."

Ash and the others were watching without really grasping the context. But Sabrina's Father had a somewhat relieved expression on his face. And Haunter was clapping his claws together as though entertained by the spectacle.

"Very well," Sabrina said with a tight smile on her face. "I will fight to hold onto the Gym. Saffron needs someone who won't make things easy for you trainers, even if it means making them go through a few extra steps. But I will warn you that you're going to have to work for my badge the next time you walk through those doors."

A challenging grin crossed Gina's face. "Looking forward to it."

"Haw-Haw!" Haunter laughed before floating over towards Ash. The Gas Pokémon pointed to one of his balls on his belt and then to himself. "Haunt."

The message carried as Ash registered the context. "You want to come along with me?"

He nodded before moving his outstretched finger in motions that spelled out 'F', then 'U', and last 'N'.

"Alright then." He pulled out an empty ball and enlarged it to an active state before tapping it against the middle-staged Gas Pokémon. The capturing mechanism was triggered without any struggle. "Welcome aboard, Haunter."

That badge issued and the details worked out, everyone else made to leave the room. That was when Sabrina called out to speak with Gina for a moment in private as the others made for the elevator. Gina decided to indulge her and told them she would meet them below in a minute. "What is it?"

"Listen, I have a theory that I want to share with you," Sabrina began. "About why you were so cognizant within the mindscape and why you observed my memories when you did."

"That was because I was in your head, wasn't it?" Gina guessed.

Sabrina shook her head. "No, if it was just that you shouldn't be as aware of things. I… believe that you may be a nascent Psychic. The potential might be sleeping within."

Gina… really wasn't expecting that. "What do you mean?"

"It may just be wishful thinking on my part," she admitted. "My Shadow has been reincorporated into my subconscious, and the thought occurred to me after I had enough time to rest. So, it might just be the part of me that longs for someone like myself pushing me to think it. But all the same, there is still a chance that you might manifest some psychic abilities if the right trigger occurs."

"So… you're saying I'll be levitating spoons and reading minds one of these days because of what happened?"

"Might," Sabrina clarified as she pulled out a card and jotted down a number on it. "Again, it might just be me overthinking things. But if you ever manifest a trace of those abilities or even want to explore the possibility, please don't hesitate to contact me. I really do want to help others like myself."

Gina eyed the offered card for a moment. Then she took it. "I'll tell you upfront that even if I do gain psychic powers, it's secondary to my other goals."

"That's fine," Sabrina told her. "I simply want to extend a hand if you need it when the time comes. And even if that time never does come, I will be cheering for you to succeed. Take care until we meet again."

"Same to you."

[-oOo-]

Once the trainers had departed, Sabrina's Father had her head home to get some rest since it looked as though she was tired. The fact that she didn't argue in favor of attempting to do more paperwork only proved she was. He saw her off and promised to ensure everything in the Gym was secured before heading back up to her now-empty office.

Only it wasn't empty as there was a woman who had seen many years there present with a shadow beneath her that seemed darker than any shadow had the right to be. Her expression was rather stern beneath her once-blonde hair that had now become gray due to age. In her hands was a cane with a Poké Ball affixed to the top of it.

"I trust you overheard everything, Lady Agatha," he said, not at all surprised by her presence. She had arrived after the situation had resolved itself and he had given her the full context of what had transpired. Her decision was to be based off what the involved parties wanted out of the entire affair, and so she hid herself with her Ghost Pokémon to observe things from the shadows.

"I was worried that whelp of a ghost would have given us away, but he seemed more amused by the prospect of playing around. I can only imagine he'll be a handful for a youngster like that boy. It will be a good lesson going forward for him though."

"And may I have your judgment about my daughter?" he asked.

She scoffed. "What is there to say? Those trainers have decided for themselves what the outcome will be. If the girl has learned from her mistake and the victims have no complaints, then that is their choice. I won't coddle any of them."

If Sabrina refused to admit her wrongdoings and learned nothing from the experience. If those children had been wronged to the extent that they felt she should be removed. If things became heated or she tried to exert her power over them to sweep it under the rug. Had any of those conditions come about, she would strip Sabrina from her position as the member of the Elite Four overseeing this Gym.

If Sabrina was regretful for her actions and the victims chose not to pursue it further, Agatha would consider the matter resolved. She herself was also of the opinion that Saffron City needed to present a challenge to all trainers, especially those who came from distant lands. That was why she liked Lt. Surge so much.

Plus, it was less paperwork for her. "Still, to think that's the Old Coot's granddaughter…" Her black eyes closed for a moment as she tilted her head up, as though searching around in her head for a distant memory. "If she's even half the trainer he used to be then I'll look forward to challenging her myself… if she can claw her way up to the top as he once did."