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Both Pokémon were fighting for victory. Both wanted to win and become the victor of the battle. Unfortunately for Hypno, that outcome was becoming less and less likely, as its attack was slowly losing ground, giving Charizard the advantage.
"Come on, Charizard, one last push!" I said.
Driven by the excitement of the battle and her trainer's encouragement, Charizard increased the power of her attack once again, completely overwhelming Hypno and striking it head-on. The attack was so powerful that Hypno was sent flying several meters before crashing into the ground, fainting instantly.
"Hypno is unable to continue. Charizard wins!" the receptionist announced.
"Well done, Charizard!" I exclaimed.
Charizard landed on the ground and looked at me with a smile, happy for winning the battle and excited by her trainer's praise.
"Char!" Charizard said with a smile.
"Hypno, you did well. It's time to rest now," Sabrina said as she returned Hypno to its Poké Ball.
Then, Sabrina fixed her gaze on me.
"Well, it's time," Sabrina said.
"Yes, the next battle. Charizard, do you want to continue or should I use another Pokémon?" I asked.
Sometimes it's good to ask your Pokémon for their opinion. After all, in most cases, they know their own limits.
"Char!" Charizard said.
Charizard raised her thumb, as if saying: I'm fine and full of energy. I can keep going!
"Alright, then you'll continue for now," I said.
"Char!" Charizard said excitedly.
The battle against Hypno had been a good warm-up, but what she really wanted was a challenge—something that would truly test her strength, a battle that wouldn't be easy to win, but…
"That's not what I meant," Sabrina said, shaking her head.
Confused, I looked at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's simple. I surrender," Sabrina said.
For what felt like hours, the entire place fell silent, trying to process Sabrina's words. No one— not even Charizard or Pikachu—could believe what they had just heard. After all, no one expected a Gym Leader, especially someone as powerful as Sabrina, to say something like that.
But eventually, I managed to speak.
"What do you mean you surrender?" I asked, confused.
"It's simple. I surrender. I cannot win. The victory is yours," Sabrina said.
"Are you sure about that, Miss Sabrina?" the receptionist asked.
Even he, who usually maintained a calm and stoic expression, was shocked by the unexpected decision of the Gym Leader he worked for. It's worth noting that Sabrina, whether because of her powers or simply her personality, was extremely calculated. She would never act unless she was certain it was the right decision. It had always been that way since he had known her. But never—not once—had she surrendered in a Gym battle. This was unprecedented.
"Completely," Sabrina nodded.
"Then… due to the surrender of the Gym Leader, Sabrina, Ash Ketchum is the winner of this battle," the receptionist declared.
Hearing that, none of us knew whether we should feel happy about winning the badge. None of us could fully process what had just happened. Obviously, I'm including myself, my Pokémon, and Celeste and Roxanne, who had joined us while the receptionist announced the result.
"Is it even allowed for a Gym Leader to surrender, or is that against the rules?" Celeste asked Roxanne.
"In theory, a Gym Leader can surrender as long as the challenger has defeated at least one of their Pokémon. But even so, I've never seen a case like this. It's the first time I've ever seen a Gym Leader surrender," Roxanne said.
What Roxanne said came from what she had read in books—something she had studied to pass the Gym Leader exams. But… a situation like this had never actually happened, at least not that she knew of.
"I suppose you didn't surrender for no reason. There must be a reason," I said after hearing Roxanne.
"That's right. I surrendered for a simple reason," Sabrina nodded.
"And what is that reason?" Celeste asked.
"I couldn't win. It's that simple," Sabrina replied.
"How do you know you couldn't win if you didn't even try?" Roxanne asked.
"That's right. You still had two Pokémon left. You could have won," I said.
It's rare for me to say this, but… I couldn't understand Sabrina's actions.
"Let me explain. When this battle began, I had a premonition. I saw two possible outcomes," Sabrina began.
"What outcomes?" I asked curiously.
"In the first scenario, my Hypno defeated your Charizard with Hyper Beam, giving me victory in the first match and ultimately the entire battle. In the second scenario, my Hypno lost to your Charizard, and shortly after, I lost to you. As you can see, we already know the result. That's why I surrendered. There's no need to make my Pokémon suffer for nothing," Sabrina explained.
"So… if Ash's Charizard had lost that clash, you would have won the battle?" Celeste asked in surprise.
"Yes. Specifically, you would have defeated two of my Pokémon, while I would have defeated three of yours, giving me the victory. In the other future, it was the opposite," Sabrina explained.
"So… you surrendered to avoid making your Pokémon suffer in a battle you already knew you would lose?" Roxanne asked.
"Exactly. Why should I make my Pokémon suffer if I already know the outcome? My Pokémon are my family, and I don't like seeing them hurt. It's simple. Besides, I'm sure all of you feel the same way," Sabrina said.
We all looked at each other and nodded.
Despite Sabrina's personality, the truth was that she deeply cared about her Pokémon.
At that moment, the receptionist approached with the badge and handed it to Sabrina.
"Now I present you with the Soul Badge. Congratulations on your victory, Ash," Sabrina said.
"Thank you very much," I replied.
Then I turned to Pikachu and Charizard.
"It was a short battle, but… we won the badge, and that's what matters—and it's all thanks to Charizard!" I said happily.
In reality, I wasn't that happy. Even though Sabrina was right, I didn't feel satisfied. I hadn't defeated all three of her Pokémon—only one. But… if the future said I would win… then I guess it's fine… I suppose…
Charizard and Pikachu were happy too. But before heading back to the Pokémon Center, there was something important I had to do.
"You promised you would tell me one of those futures if I won the battle," I said.
"That's right. I will. But first, let me congratulate you… because unfortunately, I won't be able to go," Sabrina said.
"What? Go where?" I asked, confused.
My next destination was Cinnabar Island, but I doubted she was referring to that.
"You'll find out very soon. I estimate… in about a week," Sabrina said.
"Can't you just tell us now? I'm curious," Celeste said.
"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal information about the future so carelessly. So I can't tell you anything. But as I said, in about a week, you'll understand what I mean and the meaning behind my words," Sabrina said.
"Alright… I guess…" I said.
"There are also two things I need to tell you before you leave," Sabrina said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The first is that, no matter what happens, you must come see me when you earn the fifth badge in the next region you travel to. It's very important that you come to see me at that time," Sabrina said.
Her words were becoming more and more mysterious. Why would I need to come see her then? Besides, I haven't fully decided which region I'll go to next, although I do have an idea.
"I suppose I can agree to that," I said.
Roxanne and Celeste raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word.
"And the second and last thing. Sometimes, what seems bad can be good, and what seems good—no matter how good it looks—can be bad. Keep that in mind," Sabrina said.