Chapter 77. Hartmont Sage
"Sss—ha!"
The spicy paste flared, suddenly blazing bright.
"Whoosh—"
As the smoke was drawn in, a round, squat outline began to emerge.
The outline grew solid and purple, until the smoke within could no longer be seen.
"Gengar!"
A red-eyed Gengar with a perfectly round build appeared out of nowhere!
With the spicy paste clenched in its mouth, Gengar patted its belly with its pudgy little hand, wearing a look that said it was all on it.
"Gengar, Level 86."
A doll-like voice rang out.
Natsume glanced, surprised, at the doll in Sabrina's arms.
Psychic powers could do this too?
Well, yes.
Psychic powers could basically sense an opponent's strength and weakness, and most Psychic-type Pokémon had perception far surpassing that of other Pokémon.
But to be as precise as Sabrina was here was no easy feat.
"Alright, Gengar, do as you like!"
Natsume gave Sabrina a thumbs-up.
Being able to last five seconds against the Ghost-type Elite Four's ace—now that earns you this.
"No need.
You can go."
The doll-like voice sounded again, and a faint ghostly blue light glimmered in the cloth-sewn pupils.
The next second, a round, golden badge appeared out of thin air.
It fell into Natsume's hand, and he could even make out a design resembling a five-pointed star on the badge.
"You may leave."
The doll dismissed them without ceremony.
"Wait, there's still me!"
As Natsume was exiting, Ash Ketchum stepped up to take his place.
He stared, brimming with fighting spirit, at the Alakazam standing before Sabrina.
The Gym Leader's main Pokémon looked strong just at a glance!
Ash hurriedly fished out a stick of spicy paste, about to light it to invite Gastly's help.
But the very next instant, a golden badge appeared out of thin air as well and dropped into Ash's hand.
"???"
Ash was full of question marks.
No one outside thought he stood a chance, and inside they handed him a badge on entry?
"Alright, you may leave."
The cold doll-voice sounded again.
Natsume couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but when Ash took out the spicy paste, the corner of Sabrina's mouth seemed to twitch.
"What is this supposed to be?
I don't want a badge that's just handed out like that!"
What Ash cared about wasn't the golden badge at all, but battling Sabrina.
"See them out!"
The doll's face chilled, and she reflexively used telekinesis again.
Unexpectedly, this time a faint blue aura appeared around Natsume and the others.
Sabrina raised her eyes coolly to the Gengar floating up above, puffing clouds of smoke.
"Wow, amazing—we're floating!"
Misty exclaimed.
"Mhm.
Not bad."
Natsume stroked his chin, feeling it out carefully.
He had Gengar hold off on canceling Sabrina's telekinesis for now.
He wanted to experience it properly, since he himself was thinking of studying psychic powers.
Sabrina's gaze finally locked straight onto Natsume's face.
She could tell that this powerful Gengar didn't belong to this group, yet it seemed to protect them, and would even heed the words of some among them.
The telekinetic force wrapped everyone up and drifted them toward the Gym's exterior.
"This isn't it—I want a battle, a battle!"
Ash squawked, flailing, and with a sudden wrench actually tore free of the doll's telekinesis.
"Huh?"
The doll tilted its head in surprise, and blue light blazed in Sabrina's eyes, dazzling.
An even more powerful telekinetic wave swept down over Ash, and he floated up once more, flying toward the Gym doors.
"No!
I want to battle—battle!"
Ash refused to accept it, like a glowing red charcoal doused with cold water, sizzling and hissing.
At the door, a middle-aged man in work clothes walked up slowly.
"Judging by the time, it's about when I should go save them…"
The man muttered to himself.
He lowered the brim of his cap, ghostly blue light gathering over his body.
But soon, that light faded away.
As if sensing some commotion, he raised his head toward the Gym entrance.
"I want a battle—a Pokémon battle!"
"Ugh, Ash, shut it already.
She can't hear you now."
Misty covered her ears.
With Ash's battle shouts as background noise, the whole group was tossed out like garbage.
"Bang!"
The great doors slammed shut and gleamed blue, as if Sabrina had locked them with a telekinetic shackle.
The uncle at the side: "…"
They were the first ones he'd seen who could retreat intact from his daughter's hands.
"How… did you do that?"
The uncle hurried forward, face alight with excitement.
"Uh, who are you, mister?"
Ash was at a loss, sure he'd seen the man somewhere before.
"It's the random uncle from before we went into the Gym!"
Misty tugged Ash by the ear.
"What do you mean, 'How did we do that'?
Sir, did you need something?"
Brock stepped up to mediate.
"I want to know how you made Sabrina mad!"
The uncle was beside himself, stepping up to grip Brock's hand.
"Eight years—since she was ten—I haven't seen a single expression on little Sabrina's face!"
Just now, his own mastery of psychic arts was high, and the instant the Gym door opened, he'd sensed anger in Sabrina's aura!
"Oh, that."
Off to the side, Natsume looked up and pulled out a super flashlight.
"Here.
Just shine this at her."
Natsume looked earnestly at the work-clothes uncle.
"This?"
The uncle froze, a strange look in his eyes.
"Mm, it really was Natsume's searchlight that ticked her off."
Misty thought back and felt Natsume wasn't wrong.
"Young man, could I borrow that light?"
The man in work clothes clasped Natsume's hand, pleading in his eyes.
"One hundred million Pokédollars."
Natsume held out his hand on the spot.
"…"
"…Sigh."
The man in work clothes let out a long breath, then said slowly:
"Actually, I'm the former Gym Leader here—Hartmont Sage.
Sabrina is my daughter."
With one line hitting the title right on the nose, everyone's attention snapped over.
All ears perked up, especially Misty, who zipped her head in close.
Mm, she loved a juicy secret.
After some back-and-forth, the group roughly understood the reason Sabrina had grown so strange.
"So what you mean is, because Miss Sabrina had great talent, you taught her psychic powers from a young age?"
Ash rubbed his chin.
"As a result, she got more and more obsessed, and you didn't have time to spend with her—"
Brock added.
"So she spent all day with the doll, and developed this odd personality that shows no emotion and cuts off social ties?"
Honora frowned.
"Come on, so Miss Sabrina was actually this pitiful.
You two as parents really failed!"
Misty jabbed a finger at Hartmont Sage, furious.
"So…"
Sage Hart paused, then looked to Natsume with a face full of entreaty:
"I'm begging you, Mr. Natsume—lend me that searchlight.
It's been so long since I've seen Sabrina show any emotion!"
Right now, Sage Hart was like a patient who'd lain in a sickbed for over a decade and, on the brink of death, seemed to glimpse a sliver of hope.
Clutching Natsume's arm, he started grasping at any cure he could.
"I understand—you're in a rush."
Hearing this, Natsume nodded, a trace of sympathy in his eyes.
"One billion Pokédollars."
Natsume named a price on the spot.
"…"
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