Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Lucas learns about Sabrina's shocking secret, and he receives some upgrades that will help strengthen his team.

Chapter 29

Lucas stood frozen in the living room with a bouquet and a bottle of wine in his hands. As he looked at Sabrina's Pokemon, he couldn't shake the feeling of danger. Although their status showed they weren't hostile, he was certain that it could change in an instant.

Sabrina recognised his nervousness and gave her team a stern look. "Behave. You would have thought it was the first time I had brought a man home."

Her Pokémon stared at her in disbelief. Lucas would have laughed at their expressions if he hadn't been so scared at that moment.

"My uncle has been here before," Sabrina asserted defensively. Then she carried on as if she were having a secret conversation with her team. "Yes, he does count."

They must be communicating telepathically, Lucas concluded. He noticed a flush appear on her cheeks, which he thought was adorable. What were they saying to her?

"Where should I put these?" Lucas presented his gifts.

"Sorry. My Pokemon are distracting me," Sabrina said, taking them off his hands. "Please take a seat. I suppose I should introduce my team first, and then I will get some refreshments."

Lucas took a seat on the sofa while she carried her gifts into the kitchen. Salem settled on the sofa's back and began playing with his hair.

"You only met Gengar and Alakazam briefly," Sabrina said as she returned to the living room. "Allow me to properly introduce them. Gengar's name is Mortimer. He appears frightening, but he is the most friendly Pokemon on my team."

Lucas gulped as Mortimer flashed a wicked grin. Sure, he was amiable, but that didn't amount to anything significant. Amiable compared to what? Mortimer stood as the team's weakest Pokemon, at level fifty-seven.

Sabrina gestured to her Alakazam. "This is Kazumi and she is the unofficial leader of the group. Don't get on her bad side, because she is vicious to anyone who targets those she cares about."

"Kazam," Kasumi said, nodding at him. She was the highest-level Pokemon on the team, at level sixty-four.

Sabrina proceeded to introduce the remaining members of her team.

Trunks, a male Drowzee at level sixty.

Garnet, a female Gardevoir at level fifty-nine.

Ashura, a male Medicham at level sixty-one.

Finally, at level sixty-two, the last Pokemon was a male Xatu named Xavier.

Lucas was impressed by the diversity and strength of her team. Except for Mortimer, her team consisted entirely of psychic Pokemon. But three of them had secondary typings, so she had a diverse set of moves, abilities, traits, and stat distributions.

He wondered when he would be able to achieve that level of strength. It reminded him that he couldn't afford to take it easy, and that he needed to keep improving his Pokémon.

"Is this all of your Pokemon?" Lucas asked.

"No. I have a Metagross as well," Sabrina replied. "But he is too heavy to stay in my apartment; he will most likely fall through the floor and into the apartment below. I would like to move out at some point and purchase a house to have more room for my Pokemon."

That piece of news piqued Lucas' interest. Metagross was another of his favourite Pokémon from the games. He would ask her if he could meet her Pokemon later.

'Do you mind if I release my Pokemon?" Lucas asked. "They might want to get to know your team."

"I don't mind."

Lucas released all of his Pokemon into the room, and the two Pokemon teams curiously inspected each other.

He issued a warning to Meowth. "Don't give Sabrina's Pokemon any cheek. They could kill you with a single swipe. And you had better not steal anything from Sabrina's apartment."

"I'm not going to target your mate, Meowth. Your lack of faith in me is disappointing."

Sabrina led him into the kitchen for some privacy, where she served them a glass of wine each. The oven emitted a fantastic aroma, and she kept checking on the dish. She appeared to be using it as a delaying tactic, as she refused to sit at the table with him.

"Didn't I already say that whatever you tell me, it won't affect how I see you?" Lucas asked. "So, come and sit down and let's talk."

Sabrina wiped her hands nervously on her dress before taking a seat. "I suppose I should start from the beginning. The Kuroi family is a long-standing aristocratic family with roots dating back to the city's founding. We wield considerable influence in the government, even though our family has shrunk in size. In my parents' generation, it was just them and my father's brother, who is now the current prime minister."

Lucas could see where this was going. She had never mentioned her parents to him before, so he assumed they had already died.

Sabrina continued. "However, with such power, my family inevitably made many enemies. One particular enemy sought to wipe the Kuroi family off the map. Our mansion came under attack one night, leaving my parents unprepared for its ferocity. Despite our strong security measures, they were able to breach the mansion. A group of individuals, who had several powerful Pokémon at their disposal, killed the guards and entered the mansion. They slaughtered my parents and proceeded to my bedroom, where I was hiding in the closet out of fear."

Sabrina's voice trailed off, prompting Lucas to reach out and grab her hand. As she raised her head, he could see a surge of intense emotion mirrored in her eyes. Her grip around his hand grew tighter, almost reaching the point of pain. He had never seen her in such a vulnerable state before. He almost told her to stop because he knew it was too difficult for her, but she took a deep breath and kept going.

"I was always a strange child," Sabrina said, deviating from the story. "I was an introvert whose interests leaned towards the strange and unusual. My fascination with psychic and ghost-type Pokemon made me stand out from other kids. I didn't mind, and I spent many hours simply conversing with one of my father's Pokemon, a Bannette with a peculiar sense of humour. I felt like he was a kindred spirit."

"Salem?" Lucas asked, in surprise. "Is that why he follows you everywhere? Is it because he belonged to your parents?"

"That's part of the reason," Sabrina replied. "Anyway, the time I spent with Salem was my escape from the expectations my family placed on me. Being a part of the aristocracy obligated me to adhere to specific rules and traditions. My parents placed high expectations on me, constantly teaching me new lessons to help me become the perfect daughter. It became too much for me at times."

Lucas could now understand where her reserved and formal manner of speaking originated from. Growing up like she did sounded like a nightmare.

"I mention my childhood because that is where the first incident occurred," Sabrina said. "Everyone keeps speculating about how I possess psychic abilities. That used to be true."

Lucas' eyes widened.

"A group of kids bullied me, and that's when my psychic abilities manifested," Sabrina explained. "I levitated all of the kids and held them suspended in the air for a few minutes. The kids were screaming and crying but I had no idea how to stop what I was doing."

"It must have been traumatising for you," Lucas said.

"Traumatising for me?" Sabrina asked, a look of bewilderment on her face. "The kids were the victims in this situation. I was the one who terrified them."

"No," Lucas replied, shaking his head. "You must have been just as terrified as they were. Did you do it on purpose?

"Certainly not. I didn't know what was happening to me at the time."

Lucas grinned. "See how easy it was to admit. Always listen to me, because I am always right."

"I'll pretend that is the case to protect your fragile male ego, shall I?"

"Much appreciated."

Sabrina smiled before continuing. "My father was the one who discovered us and stopped me. Not many people know this, but my father also had psychic abilities. Throughout our history, the Kuroi family has been known to produce several psychics. But mine were on an entirely new level. He was afraid for me because my abilities were already so powerful, and they started manifesting in a way that terrified him. He didn't know how to keep me from harming myself."

"What do you mean?"

"As a result of my psychic abilities, another personality emerged within me," Sabrina said, her eyes darkening. "She had a much more aggressive personality than I did. This presented a problem, as she had the ability to partially use my abilities independently while also possessing a unique ability of her own. She could transmute people into dolls."

Lucas felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. That sounded absolutely terrifying. How do you defend yourself against such an unusual power? Instantly, his mind conjured images of Sabrina's face staring down at him, trapped in a dollhouse. That scenario was a nightmare come true.

When he sensed a presence, he turned to see Salem peering out from behind the door. Salem caught his eye and smiled creepily at him.

Sabrina kept speaking as if she hadn't acknowledged Salem's presence. "I remained the dominant personality, upsetting her because she couldn't come out and play more. In a moment of control over my body, she used both of our abilities to transfer herself into a doll I possessed."

Lucas shuddered. He was never a fan of the Chucky movies, and now he was hearing about a Pokemon version of him, with psychic abilities. It was a lot more terrifying.

"She wasn't so bad," Sabrina commented, noticing his expression. "She only reacted violently when someone threatened me. However, she intimidated my parents, leading them to attempt her removal at one point. They used Salem because they were afraid of getting too close to her. But…"

Lucas held his breath.

"She took control of Salem and scared the hell out of my parents," Sabrina concluded, her gaze shifting to look at something over Lucas' shoulder.

A horrible thought arose in his mind. Where was the doll at that exact moment? Was it still around? Could it be that Salem has been under its control all along?

He slowly turned his head to discover that Salem had sneaked up on him. Salem was hanging upside down, directly in front of his face. Lucas nearly had a heart attack upon seeing this. He jumped out of his chair, raced around the table, and huddled behind Sabrina for protection. He didn't care if he looked like a coward at that moment.

"Stop that," Sabrina scolded the ghost. "If you keep doing that, then I will restrict your playtime."

"Sabrina?" Lucas' voice trembled. "Is that really her? Does the doll always have control over Salem?"

"No, not always," Sabrina answered. "Only when she grows bored and wants to interact with the world."

"What about when Salem killed that Team Rocket member?"

"It was her," Sabrina confirmed. "There is no need to fear her. If she thought you were a threat to me, she would have done something already. She seems to find you fascinating and follows you around frequently."

"I feel honoured," Lucas said dryly. He was calmer now that he had recovered from the shock. Even though it was terrifying to think that a possessed doll had been so close to him all this time, it was true that she hadn't done anything to hurt him.

Sabrina appeared to be relieved that he was taking it so well.

"So, are you going to tell me the rest of the story now regarding the incident?" Lucas asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "It's Bree's tale to tell. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do it."

The doll had a name. The situation was so strange that it felt like he was dreaming, and he was tempted to slap himself to wake up.

"Are you ready?" Sabrina asked.

Lucas took a few moments to compose himself, not expecting to meet the doll so soon. He followed her out of the kitchen and down the hallway, with Salem trailing behind them.

Sabrina halted in front of a door and unlocked it. The profusion of pink adorning the walls, floors, furniture, and bedspread nearly blinded Lucas as he entered the bedroom behind her. Someone liked the colour a little too much.

Lucas' examination of the room came to an abrupt halt when he noticed a dollhouse tucked away in the corner. A doll sat in front of it, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sabrina, albeit in miniature. The doll wore a pristine white dress and a wide-brimmed hat with a red ribbon at the front.

He froze as the doll turned its head and looked at Lucas. "Do you want to play in my dollhouse?"

"I'm good," Lucas managed to get out, noticing the smile on Bree's face. It was creepy as hell. Gathering his courage, he walked over to her and sat down in front of her.

Bree stood up and climbed onto his lap. "I know Sabrina has dinner in the oven, so I will keep the story short."

"I need to check on it," Sabrina said, heading for the door. She paused in the doorway. "Will you be alright alone?"

Lucas waved her off. "I will be fine."

After Sabrina left, Bree looked up at him with a curious expression. Despite being a doll, her facial expressions were remarkably expressive. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Just like Sabrina said," Lucas murmured. "You had several opportunities to harm me but didn't. So, why don't you finish the story?"

Bree nodded. "Did Sabrina tell you that she hid in the closet after the intruders entered the house?"

'Yeah."

"That was a lie. Sabrina has no memory of what happened that night. To comfort herself, she just says it that way. The truth is that she ran to her parent's room as soon as she heard the screams. She watched from the doorway as they were slaughtered."

Lucas was horrified. "Did she lose her memories because of the trauma?"

"No." Bree sighed. "She asked me to alter her memories to make them less painful. But I messed up. In the process, I unintentionally sealed her psychic abilities. Perhaps they held a strong connection to her memories. I don't know."

"Is there any way to get her abilities back?"

"Probably. I could unlock her real memories, but Sabrina refuses to recall the most distressing moments of that night. Sometimes the memories rise to the surface when she sleeps. She asks me to devour them, so she doesn't have to experience them. They are so delicious."

"I have heard of some strange tastes before, but yours takes it to an entirely new level," Lucas remarked.

"Sometimes she has flashes of insight or premonitions," Bree said, ignoring him. "Sabrina had one the night her cruise ship capsized. She sensed you were in danger and rushed out to rescue you."

Lucas smiled. It was nice to hear how much she cared for him. He directed the conversation back to the incident. "What happened to the intruders?"

"The intruders noticed Sabrina, and they chased after her down the hallway. I had also heard the commotion and came to investigate, whereupon I crossed paths with them. Do you know what happened next?"

Lucas was too scared to ask.

Bree pointed to her dollhouse. "I turned them into dolls for my dollhouse."

Lucas felt sick to his stomach. "Have they been dolls this entire time?"

"No," Bree pouted. "Sadly, they don't last long before they die. At least they stayed as dolls, even after becoming corpses. No one messes with Sabrina. She and I are one and the same."

It seemed like she was giving him a warning, which was a little scary. But he had no intentions of harming Sabrina, so he should be fine.

"So why are you locked in this room?" Lucas asked. "Doesn't Sabrina trust you?"

"I don't trust myself," Bree corrected. "However, if I need to get something done or see the world, I do it through Salem. Even though he isn't Sabrina's Pokemon, he remains loyal to her because of her father."

"I imagine he does it for you as well. You did mention that the two of you are one and the same."

Bree appeared shocked by his words. She had never considered that perspective before.

Sabrina came back in, saying dinner was ready, and Lucas said goodbye to Bree. Now that he had met her, he had lost some of the fear he held for her. But he was going to avoid getting on her bad side.

After telling him her story, Sabrina appeared to lower her guard around him, and she was much more open during their dinner. He elaborated on his upbringing in an orphanage, a narrative he had to invent spontaneously. But based on what he knew about the place, he felt he had made up a convincing story. He knew there was a lot more to learn about her past, as she hinted at events that occurred after her parents died, but he wasn't in a hurry to learn everything.

After dinner, they went into the lounge and watched television. She gravitated towards him, and they exchanged a few passionate kisses. Lucas was intoxicated by the sensation of her lips against his, and he was tempted to go further. But sanity prevailed, and he was able to keep himself under control. It felt as though he would exploit her vulnerability, which she exposed tonight by sharing her past with him. She wasn't in the right state of mind.

Sabrina eventually fell asleep against his side, and he settled in to stay the night, as he didn't want to move and disturb her sleep.

A few hours later, Lucas was still wide awake, with Sabrina nestled up to his side, her chest gradually rising and falling as she slept. It was incredible that she trusted him enough to fall asleep in front of him, even though her Pokemon were sleeping on the floor.

Since he couldn't get to sleep, he decided to peruse his menu. He wanted to purchase something now that he had made a small fortune.

Upgrading his Pokemon Habitat would cost him fifty thousand pokedollars. The only thing he knew about the upgrade was that it would allow for more customisation.

Lucas spent the pokedollars and watched as his menu updated. The next upgrade would cost him another two hundred thousand. He retrieved his guidebook from his inventory and flipped through the pages until he came across a new entry detailing the most recent upgrade.

"This is freaking amazing," Lucas whispered.

The upgrade enabled him to transfer his Pokemon among all their habitats. Moreover, there was an added advantage that would significantly aid him in his Pokemon breeding efforts.

When two compatible Pokemon shared a habitat, their bond grew at a fifty percent faster rate. It was ideal for Icarus and Icaria because they'd be able to bond faster and produce eggs. Tomorrow, he was going to move Icaria into Icarus' habitat. There may still be some friction between the two, but it should subside after they spend more time together alone.

Another advantage is that when his Pokemon go to one of their teammates' habitats, they can train the corresponding affinities. It wasn't as effective as training their primary affinity, but it was much faster than training them outside.

When Lucas used the menu to check on his Pokemon inside their habitats, he noticed something odd about Max's habitat. Several lightning arcs were sparking off a stone that was floating in the sky. He also noted that the intensity of the lightning appeared to have increased. After observing the phenomenon for some time, he concluded that the stone must be responsible for increasing the frequency and intensity of the lightning.

Max was sleeping beneath an overhanging rock, oblivious to the lightning that struck the ground around him. By this point, he was no longer afraid of the lightning and found some comfort in their presence.

"Wait, where did the unrefined evolution stone go?"

He had taken it out earlier for Max to play with, but he couldn't remember where it had gone after returning him to his pokeball. If it had been lying somewhere in the living room, he would have noticed. Then his gaze fell on the stone within Max's habitat. Surely it couldn't be the same stone.

He grabbed his guidebook again and looked up the information on habitats. Sure enough, there was a new entry that he had overlooked previously. Placing an unrefined evolution stone in a corresponding habitat could increase affinity gains by twenty percent. It was well worth the twenty-five thousand pokedollars he had spent on the stone. Max must have still been holding it when he returned it to his pokeball, and he didn't notice that it had disappeared.

Lucas put the book away and closed his menu. He would have to search for unrefined evolution stones for other habitats, as the benefits were amazing.

Lucas leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be another busy day.

The next morning, Lucas left Sabrina's apartment early as she had to leave for work. She had been acting shy ever since she woke up, only to find herself sleeping in his arms. They promised to meet up later tonight before she shooed him out of the apartment. He hired a carriage to take him back to the hotel.

"What is that, partner?" Meowth asked, noticing Lucas fidgeting with a card.

Lucas grinned. "I may have mentioned to Sabrina my desire to further explore the Silph Company headquarters in passing. She handed me a keycard and said she would notify security that I had full access to the building."

Meowth, left speechless, gestured for him to explain.

"Her family has a lot of shares in the company," Lucas told him. "So she holds a lot of influence there. Isn't it advantageous to have a girlfriend with a high status?

Meowth gave him the thumbs up. "Way to take one for the team. Make sure to keep her happy so we can reap additional benefits in the future."

"Why do you have to put it that way? How about I sell you to the circus?" Lucas threatened. "And don't even think about stealing anything from the company because Sabrina is doing me a huge favour. I don't want to get her in trouble."

"Spoilsport."

When Lucas returned to the hotel, he took a shower and changed into his new outfit. Brock spotted him as he was leaving his room and began making sly remarks about his night with Sabrina. Lucas ignored him and exited the hotel. This time, he didn't take a carriage but rode his bike to the Silph Company headquarters.

When he entered the building, he obtained a pass from reception and fastened it to his shirt. He entered the elevator, inserted the key card, and pressed the button for the second floor. From there, he set out to systematically search all twelve floors for the remaining keys. As he went about his mission, he couldn't help but notice the staff sending him curious looks because they found his actions strange. He appeared to be wandering around in unusual areas, as if looking for something in particular. But they ignored him because he had a pass, implying that he was an important person.

After reaching the eighth floor, he managed to collect all the keys. But his task was far from over, as he still needed to find the chest that these keys would unlock.

Until now, he hadn't paid much attention to the staff or the work going on around him because he was only interested in finding the keys. But as he returned to the elevator, a chance conversation drew his attention, causing him to pause and listen.

"When are they going to bring Porygon to headquarters?" The scientist asked his co-worker. His tone was fraught with impatience.

"It should be soon," the female scientist said reassuringly. "There was a delay because we needed to resolve some issues with Porygon first."

"What sort of delay? What are the idiots on Cinnabar Island doing?"

The woman shrugged. "I don't know. What do a few extra days matter?"

"Do you understand the implications Porygon has for the scientific community?" The man's voice rose. "Not only is he the first artificially created Pokemon, but we created him for a specific purpose that will change the world."

Their conversation came to an end, and Lucas continued walking to the elevator while reflecting on it. One of the Pokemon that had been missing from the list he had compiled had made its appearance. He doubted the scientist's assertion that Porygon was the first artificial Pokemon, given the likelihood of another Pokemon's creation. He wondered if Mewtwo would appear in a similar way to the anime.

"It sounds like an abomination," Meowth whispered harshly to him. "You can't cook up Pokemon in some laboratory."

"I didn't think you would have strong feelings about it."

"Porygon was created to serve as a tool for humans, Meowth. He won't have any freedom and will likely be worked to death. A Pokemon trapped in a cage."

Lucas understood where Meowth was coming from. Once, Meowth found himself imprisoned in a cage, stripped of his freedom, and compelled to serve his owner.

He found the chest he was looking for on the ninth floor. Impatient to see what he had obtained, he entered a bathroom and shut himself in one of the stalls.

Meowth nearly gagged. "Yikes. Someone dropped a bomb in the toilet. What do humans even eat to produce such a smell? Humans are disgusting."

Lucas grimaced. He couldn't disagree with what Meowth said. He removed the chest and keys from his inventory and proceeded to unlock all seven locks. Inside the chest, there were ten patches, along with a piece of paper.

"What are those supposed to be?" Meowth asked.

Lucas grabbed the paper and began reading it.

ExpShare Patches

All non-fainted Pokemon in the party, wearing the patches, share half of the experience when a Pokemon defeats an opponent in battle. They have strong adhesive properties, so they will attach to Pokemon and won't fall off easily.

Redacted Please level up the Bountiful Gains skill first.

"Woah!" Meowth exclaimed. "That sounds overpowered. I could become stronger without lifting a finger."

Lucas had to agree. These patches arrived just in time, as he was hoping to accelerate his Pokemon's development. With these, achieving that goal would be much easier. Furthermore, Vulpix would hatch from her egg in just over a week, so if he gave her one of the patches, she would be able to quickly raise her levels with minimal effort.

He was surprised that the ExpShare function appeared this way, as it is normally a hold item in the game. However, they didn't exist in this world. It made sense, because how would they exist in such a realistic depiction of the world? With so many different-sized and shaped Pokemon out there, how were you supposed to hold an item? How were you supposed to use some of them in battle, such as the berries? Some Pokemon didn't even have arms to be able to use them.

Instead, there was a series of potions called Battle Enhancers, which provided temporary bonuses to Pokemon during battle. The category also included battle items from the games. Battle Enhancers came in dozens of different varieties, with new ones constantly emerging. Because he had been preoccupied with the growth potion, he hadn't tried making any yet. Furthermore, their recipes were kept secret. As he rose in rank at the Alchemist's Guild, he knew that he could purchase some of the recipes, but many more belonged to their creators.

"I wonder what information has been redacted," Meowth said, referring to the words written on the paper.

He was also curious. He didn't bother to level up the Bountiful Gains skill because there were easier ways to earn pokedollars. But if he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, he needed to use his skill points to level it up. He just so happened to have the right amount of skill points, too.

"Go on!" Meowth urged.

Lucas spent the skill points and levelled up the skill. Immediately, he retrieved the guidebook and turned to the page with the relevant information.

"Effort Values?" Lucas exclaimed.

He studied the information until he understood how the mechanics worked. It was different from the games. At the second level of Bountiful Gains, a Pokemon earned an EV for a specific stat by defeating another Pokemon. Depending on which Pokemon you defeat, you may earn EVs for all of the different Pokemon stats, including luck.

When an EV reached ten, the Pokemon gained a stat. In the game, there was a limit to how many stats you could receive in total, and it was a hundred here. The Exp Share patches would also allow Pokemon in the party to earn half an EV point even when they weren't participating in battle.

Although these EVs were already present in the world, not everyone understood them. If he had known that levelling up the skill would provide him with this benefit, he would have done so much sooner.

"It's time to get busy," Lucas said, grinning.

Although he didn't plan to explore outside the city while he was here, there was always the Battle Arena, where he and his Pokemon could earn double the number of experience points.

He was about to propel his team to new heights of strength.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas visits the arena to grind experience.

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Thanks for reading.