When Sabrina was distracted, Kazuki decisively commanded Gastly to take the initiative.
"Gastly! Use Sucker Punch! Get close to Kadabra!"
Most of Kadabra's combat power came from Sabrina, so when Sabrina was distracted, Kadabra's strength also declined.
At this moment, Kazuki wasn't about to play fair or avoid sneak attacks.
After all, Sabrina's psychic powers could bring down the entire gym. Lingering around her for too long was far too dangerous.
"Gastly, go for it!"
Gastly!
The training they had done on the way to Saffron City had built a solid combat synergy between Kazuki and Gastly, and their coordination was now seamless.
By the time Sabrina snapped back to focus, Kadabra had already taken several Shadow Balls.
But Kadabra, sharing Sabrina's psychic abilities, wasn't so easily defeated. It used Teleport to create distance and immediately launched a counterattack.
Unfortunately, most of Kadabra's psychic moves had little effect on Gastly.
However, since Kadabra was connected to Sabrina's psychic powers, it didn't go down even after being hit multiple times.
Kazuki noticed that Sabrina's competitive spirit was starting to flare up as Kadabra struggled in the battle.
He quickly commanded Gastly to use a move it wasn't yet fully proficient in: Millennium Dark Pulse.
As the smoke around Gastly settled, Kadabra fell into a negative status.
And Sabrina, connected to Kadabra, also seemed to be affected.
At that moment, Haunter, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly reappeared in front of Sabrina.
"What are you doing, Kazuki? I said this was a one-on-one battle!"
Sabrina's voice, usually cold, now carried a hint of emotion.
"Haunter isn't joining the fight; it's just playing around on the sidelines!" Sabrina's father, who had just entered the arena, explained on Kazuki's behalf.
"Playing?" Sabrina turned to look at Haunter beside her.
Haunter began using a comedic trick it had learned from an ancient Gastly.
But Sabrina didn't laugh as she had in the original script. Still, it worked—Sabrina was distracted by Haunter's antics.
On the battlefield, Kadabra's strength was significantly weakened. Under the effects of Millennium Dark Pulse, Gastly launched a series of attacks and finally managed to defeat Kadabra.
Sabrina's father, who had been watching from the sidelines, was utterly shocked when he saw Sabrina defeated.
He had been ready to teleport Kazuki out of the gym at any moment.
But to his surprise, Sabrina had actually been defeated by this outsider trainer named Kazuki.
When Sabrina saw Kadabra fall, her usually expressionless eyes widened slightly, though her face still showed no emotion—whether anger, frustration, or something else.
After the match, Kazuki recalled Gastly and walked toward Sabrina.
Sabrina's father, seeing Kazuki's bold move, quickly called out, "Don't go over there, kid!"
"Sabrina's a proud girl. She's probably furious after losing. Don't approach her now!"
"I'll figure out a way to get you the Marsh Badge later!"
Kazuki ignored Sabrina's father's warning and continued walking toward Sabrina.
He knew that Kadabra's condition was a reflection of Sabrina's psychic state.
Haunter's comedic act hadn't been entirely ineffective—it was just missing something.
As Sabrina watched Kazuki approach, she didn't push him away as she had done with her parents earlier. It seemed her consciousness was now overriding her psychic instincts.
However, her competitive nature still made her resent the person who had defeated her getting so close.
"Sabrina, battling you has helped me grow a lot. Would you like to be friends?"
With the clues from Sabrina's father, Kazuki knew exactly what Sabrina was missing—a friend who dared to get close to her.
The key to defeating Sabrina wasn't about winning or losing, but about sharing the joy of victory or the pain of defeat.
If Kazuki had simply demanded the badge, it would have likely led to a repeat of the original script—either being turned into a doll or being teleported away by Sabrina's father.
Although her father might have eventually found a way to give Kazuki the badge, the mission would have been a failure.
At that moment, Haunter appeared out of nowhere with a party popper, releasing a shower of colorful confetti between Sabrina and Kazuki, as if officiating a wedding.
The colorful paper flakes fell on Kazuki's head, adding a touch of humor to the scene.
A strange emotion welled up inside Sabrina, and she burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, hahaha…"
Perhaps because she had been suppressing her emotions for so long, Sabrina laughed for a full three minutes without stopping.
The system notification in Kazuki's ear had already informed him that Sabrina had returned to normal, but her prolonged laughter still sent chills down his spine.
"Sabrina's laughing, she's laughing! Hahaha!"
Before Sabrina could finish laughing, her father, overjoyed, began jumping around and laughing as well.
Kazuki was startled by the sudden outburst from the father and daughter: They really are related! Their laughter lasts forever!
Laugh all you want, though. Laughter is better than rage. Let me check my rewards first.
[Ding! Defeat Saffron Gym Leader Sabrina and make her smile again, restoring her to normalcy—Mission Complete!]
[Prismatic Poké Ball has been added to the System Inventory.]
[Sabrina's Affection has increased!]
[Ding! Perfect Romance Mission Progress: 4/10. Captured: Delia Ketchum, Melanie, Maiden's Peak Officer Jenny, Sabrina!]
Hehehe!
Kazuki also laughed. This was probably the most casual "capture" so far!
No hand-holding, no more than ten words exchanged!
But then again, making this ice queen laugh was probably as difficult as winning over the others!
"Sabrina! You… you've finally come back to your senses, haven't you?"
Sabrina's father cautiously approached her.
Sabrina gradually stopped laughing and looked at her father. "I'm sorry, Dad! I've been lost in my psychic powers for so many years! You and Mom… Mom!"
As she spoke, Sabrina raised her hand and transformed her mother back from a doll.
Kazuki glanced at Sabrina's mother and understood why Sabrina was so beautiful.
It was all in the genes. And because she had been frozen as a doll by Sabrina's psychic powers, her mother showed no signs of aging.
"Sabrina! You've finally come back!" Sabrina's mother, bolder than her father, immediately rushed forward and hugged Sabrina.
"Mom… Mom!" Sabrina's arms stiffly lifted, as if she was still hesitant to face her mother.
Flustered, Sabrina looked around and finally locked eyes with Kazuki, silently asking for help.
Kazuki and Sabrina exchanged a glance, and he quickly understood.
Due to years of separation from her parents, Sabrina wasn't as close to them as she once was.
But thanks to the Perfect System's mission rewards, Kazuki had gained a significant amount of affection from Sabrina.
It seemed that Sabrina's affection for him had already surpassed her familial bonds.
Kazuki suddenly felt like a troublemaker holding a pregnancy test, ready to confront the father.
Hehehe!
But jokes aside, family reunions were more important!
So Kazuki nodded, encouraging Sabrina.
Sabrina finally relaxed and hugged her mother.
After a brief conversation with her parents, Sabrina eagerly turned to Kazuki.
"Kazuki, I never expected someone without psychic powers to defeat me. I'm really grateful!"
If Sabrina had said this to Kazuki earlier, he would have immediately burned a talisman to summon the Giant Dragonite to deal with this ticking time bomb.
But now, Sabrina was smiling as she spoke, and Kazuki responded playfully.
"Well, it's not like I have no psychic powers…"
"Oh? Really?" Before Kazuki could finish, Sabrina interrupted him.
"What! You have a psychic too!"
"But your psychic powers are so weak, they're almost nonexistent!"
"If we were to compare psychic abilities, you'd definitely lose!"
Kazuki pursed his lips. He had intended to joke with Sabrina, saying that his confidence could be considered a psychic power.
But Sabrina was so straightforward, immediately probing him. It seemed her competitive nature was innate, not just a result of her psychic abilities.
"Alright! I'll practice more and come back to challenge you in psychic abilities, Gym Leader Miss Sabrina!"
Sabrina suddenly paused, blinked, and her thin pink lips moved slightly before she spoke. "You… you can just call me Sabrina. No need to be so formal."
Her father, standing nearby, frowned, sensing something was off. "Huh? Why does Sabrina look at Kazuki so strangely?"
"She seems happier to see him than her own father!"
Sabrina's mother chuckled softly. "Sabrina's a grown woman now. Of course, she'd be happy around other boys!"
"You're so clueless!"
"Clueless? About what?" Sabrina's father tilted his head, carefully observing the two.
Kazuki examined Sabrina's expression. It wasn't shyness but something peculiar. Psychics were truly hard to read.
"Alright, Sabrina. Once I take your Marsh Badge to the Indigo Plateau Conference and win, I'll come back to challenge you in psychic abilities!"
Kazuki hinted at the Marsh Badge.
Sabrina, being sharp, immediately understood.
"I'll definitely give you the Marsh Badge!"
"But… didn't you say you wanted to be my friend?"
Hearing Sabrina mention "friend," Kazuki's Aura Power flared up instinctively. But since Sabrina was still smiling, he nodded with a smile. "Of course! I'd be happy to be your friend!"
"Good~" Sabrina's voice trembled with excitement, and a slightly obsessive smile spread across her face.
"Then you're my first and only friend in this lifetime!"
"Kazuki, spend the day with me, and I'll give you the Marsh Badge. Deal?"
Kazuki breathed a sigh of relief: Just a day? I thought I'd have to stay here forever!
"Sure!…"
Before Kazuki could finish, a bright light enveloped him.
Sabrina floated into the air, and when she saw Kazuki still on the ground, her eyes glowed red. In the next second, the two vanished from the gym.
"Hey, hey! Sabrina! Where'd Sabrina go?"
Seeing his daughter disappear with a man, Sabrina's father began pacing anxiously around the gym.
Sabrina's mother grabbed his arm and patted it. "Why are you so worked up?"
"I… I'm worked up! My daughter's been taken by that kid! How can I not be worked up?"
"Ha!" Sabrina's mother laughed. "With Sabrina's psychic powers, no one can take her against her will!"
"Besides, Sabrina's not a child anymore. It's time she found someone!"
"Marry? Marry who?" Sabrina's father jumped in agitation. "I've only just reunited with Sabrina, and now she's going to belong to someone else? I won't allow it!"
"You won't allow it?" Sabrina's mother shook her head with a smile. "The only person who can handle Sabrina is probably Kazuki."
"And Sabrina was saved by Kazuki. Her affection for him will likely last a lifetime."
"Do you want Sabrina to revert to her old self? Or do you want her to be alone forever?"
"Well, of course, I want Sabrina to be happy!" Sabrina's father was just venting. He knew he couldn't oppose Sabrina's psychic powers.
"Actually, I quite like Kazuki too."
"It's just… the thought of my daughter getting married feels strange."
"Ha, ha, ha! Relax," Sabrina's mother comforted him. "They're just getting closer. It's not like they're getting married yet."
Her father could only nod and let things unfold.
Sabrina used her psychic powers to teleport herself and Kazuki to a large grassy field near Saffron City.
When they were about five or six meters above the ground, Sabrina released her psychic hold, letting herself and Kazuki fall.
Kazuki's Aura Power sensed a sharp rock in the grass directly below Sabrina.
He quickly wrapped his arms around Sabrina's slender waist, shifting their landing spot. They rolled twice on the ground, with Kazuki ending up on top of Sabrina.
Sabrina's breathing deepened, and her black-stockinged legs instinctively pressed against Kazuki. Her pale face finally showed a hint of color.
"Aside from my father when I was a child, you're the first man to hold me like this."
Kazuki glanced at Sabrina's strange, shy expression and felt things were about to escalate.
"There was a sharp rock. It was dangerous," Kazuki explained, gesturing to the rock nearby.
Sabrina stared into Kazuki's eyes, a cute smile spreading across her face. She didn't even glance at the rock. "Then thank the rock."
"Thank the rock, huh?" Kazuki took a deep breath and helped Sabrina up. This psychic woman's thought process was truly unpredictable.
Once on her feet, Sabrina clung to Kazuki, eager to play.
On the vast grassy field, Sabrina ran joyfully, as if chasing after her childhood self.
Kazuki took the opportunity to ask Sabrina about psychic abilities. After all, they were alone—why not learn something?
"Sabrina, do you have any shortcuts to quickly improve psychic abilities? Can you teach me?"
Sabrina stopped running and turned to look at Kazuki. She then approached, took his hand, and smiled. "Play with me until tonight, and then I'll tell you."
And so, Kazuki spent the day reliving childhood games with Sabrina. Though childish, Sabrina's laughter was genuine.
They played until nightfall, finally lying on the grass to gaze at the stars.
"We've played all the childhood games," Sabrina sighed contentedly.
"Happy now?"
Sabrina nodded, then muttered softly, "But I'm an adult now. There are still adult games we haven't played."
"What?" Kazuki didn't catch what Sabrina said.
"Nothing," Sabrina pursed her lips and glanced at Kazuki.
"Kazuki, didn't you say you wanted to learn psychic abilities?"
"Are you going to teach me now?" Kazuki propped himself up, eager.
"I'll teach you," Sabrina suddenly pushed Kazuki down, straddling him. "But only if you can beat me."
Kazuki, seeing Sabrina's flushed face and rapid breathing, felt things were about to take off.
"Beat you at what?"
Sabrina smiled obsessively, using her psychic powers to remove her black stockings. She shaped them into a heart and placed it on Kazuki's chest.
Then she leaned down, her lips close to Kazuki's, her breath mingling with his.
"This time, I'll definitely win."
With that, Kazuki's belt mysteriously loosened.
"Wait… is this really how psychic powers are supposed to be used?"
"Ah…"
---
Next Goal:- 400PS
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