"Miss, do you know why a criminal stuffs all the stolen money into a police officer's pocket?"
Thousand-Year Gengar floated in front of Sabrina and asked.
(Is this guy about to tell a bad joke?)
Red looked speechlessly at the mischievous Thousand-Year Gengar.
Sabrina didn't answer, but her eyes revealed a desire to know the punchline.
"Of course it's because the criminal wants to give the officer the money so he'll laugh himself to death!"
After saying that, Thousand-Year Gengar clutched its stomach and burst into laughter.
(So cold…) X3
Red, the crimson Gyarados, and the middle-aged man who had long been hiding in the shadows all stared at Thousand-Year Gengar in silence. Seeing that the battle had already ended, the crimson Gyarados loosened its jaws and threw Kadabra onto the ground.
Sabrina didn't react, but Red keenly noticed the slight upward curve at the corner of her lips.
"Do you know why you shouldn't fight the wind?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked. This time, Sabrina responded with a slight shake of her head.
"No matter how strong you are, even if the wind doesn't hurt you, if you catch a cold from it, you'll still get sick!"
After finishing, Thousand-Year Gengar laughed again, clutching its stomach. Sabrina in front of it looked as if she understood, gradually shedding her former cold and unapproachable demeanor.
"Do you know what Pikachu becomes when it stands up?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked. This time, Sabrina even took the initiative to ask what it would become.
"When Pikachu stands up, it becomes Pika-soldier! Hahahaha…"
(So cold…)
The crimson Gyarados looked helplessly at Red, signaling whether it could use Aqua Tail to shut Thousand-Year Gengar up. The joke had practically frozen it to tears.
"So that's it. I'm so silly!" Sabrina suddenly realized and laughed.
"I'm truly moved. I never expected Sabrina, who has been obsessed with psychic powers since childhood, to show such an innocent smile. This is the first time I've ever seen that child smile with such joy!"
The middle-aged man appeared beside Red, tears streaming down his face as he looked at the happy Sabrina.
"Unfortunately, that wasn't my plan…" Red said coldly.
"Do you know why when a trainer puts a hat on an Arbok, it can't move?" Thousand-Year Gengar grinned.
"Hmm~ Is it because it's a 'snake-pressing hat'?"
"Correct, correct! You're so talented!" Thousand-Year Gengar laughed, extremely satisfied with Sabrina. Their sense of humor was almost identical, making it feel as though it had found a kindred spirit.
"Enough with the foolish cold jokes!" Red said calmly, suddenly ordering the crimson Gyarados to attack. "Gyarados, use Hyper Beam on Sabrina!"
"What?!" The middle-aged man looked at Red in horror, unable to understand his intention. But to protect his daughter, he rushed in front of Sabrina without hesitation, trying to block the crimson Gyarados' attack with his own body.
"Dad…"
Sabrina recognized that the middle-aged man before her was her father. Even though she had been so cold toward her family, he still stepped forward to protect her without hesitation. It allowed her to feel the warmth she once had.
"L-Little… Boss, what are you doing?!" Thousand-Year Gengar shouted angrily, not understanding Red's intention. Hadn't it already made Sabrina laugh?!
"I don't need others to dictate what I do!" Red said coldly, signaling the crimson Gyarados to attack.
Golden energy particles gathered in the crimson Gyarados' mouth. In an instant, a beam shot forward. The middle-aged man quickly shielded Sabrina behind him. He tried to use psychic power, but Red's interference rendered it ineffective.
"Damn it!" Thousand-Year Gengar fumed, attempting to use its own move to weaken Hyper Beam as much as possible.
Just as Hyper Beam was about to strike, blue light flashed in Red's eyes. He actively used his psychic power to swap their positions. The original spot was blasted through by Hyper Beam, leaving behind a bottomless crater. The ceiling above shook violently from the attack's power.
"When I was young, my father left home," Red calmly explained to Sabrina. "So it's hard for me to understand what fatherly love feels like. Now you should understand the warmth of family. Psychic power is just one means to protect yourself and your loved ones. It's not something worth losing yourself in."
The warmth of family memories she had once abandoned surged back into her mind. Enlightened, Sabrina slowly set down the doll in her hands. The doll floated in midair, smiling at Sabrina and waving goodbye. From the beginning, it had been a reflection of her lonely heart. Now that Sabrina had finally found herself again, the doll gradually vanished before everyone's eyes.
At the same time, Sabrina's mother transformed back from the doll into her human form. Seeing her beloved daughter return to normal, she looked at Red with gratitude and stepped forward to embrace Sabrina and the middle-aged man.
"Thank you, young man. It's because of you that our family could be reunited!" the middle-aged man said gratefully, finally understanding what Red had meant earlier about acting according to the situation.
"It's nothing. I'm used to playing the villain," Red replied calmly. But beside him, Thousand-Year Gengar sensed the loneliness within Red's heart—a kind of solitude that unconsciously radiated a cold arrogance.
(I see now. No wonder each of your Pokémon carries a faint trace of pride in their hearts…)
Thousand-Year Gengar had witnessed too many bonds between trainers and Pokémon to not understand how deeply a Pokémon was influenced by its trainer's personality.
(Maybe I misjudged him…)
It obediently floated behind Red, no longer opposing him. Even the crimson Gyarados' impression of it improved somewhat.
"Thank you. If it weren't for your efforts, Sabrina wouldn't have recovered so quickly!" Sabrina's mother held Sabrina's hand and expressed her heartfelt gratitude. Though she had been unable to speak while transformed into a doll, her psychic power allowed her to sense everything that happened on the battlefield.
"I'm sorry, Mom… Dad…" Sabrina cried, regretting how selfish she had been, immersing herself in psychic power and driving away the warmth of her family.
"To know one's mistake and correct it is the greatest good!" Red suddenly said with moral gravity. Not one to miss a chance, Thousand-Year Gengar floated up and teased, "Oh! So our boss is a cultured gentleman too!"
With a loud bang, Thousand-Year Gengar was sent flying into the wall by a powerful Iron Tail from the crimson Gyarados. The impact created spiderweb-like cracks across the surface.
'Newcomer, you're still too arrogant!' the crimson Gyarados said irritably. Its previous favorable impression plummeted. It had thought the ghost-type Pokémon might behave a little, but apparently that was impossible.
"Seriously, can't you take a joke?" the injured Thousand-Year Gengar muttered speechlessly. The scene made Sabrina's family of three laugh. They were also grateful for the cold jokes; without them, Sabrina's icy heart might never have opened.
"This is the Gold Badge you deserve!" Sabrina stepped forward and handed the Gold Badge to Red. Her face flushed as she glanced away. "If… if possible, I hope you can stay by my side…"
After saying that, she blushed deeply and retreated behind her parents, occasionally peeking out to observe Red's expression.
"I still have my own path to follow…" Red gently refused her request. He then looked up at the shattered ceiling, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds above. "My journey won't end in the Kanto Region. There are still many unsolved mysteries in this world that I need to explore personally!"
"It's only natural for a young man to have grand ambitions!" the middle-aged man said with a smile, telling both Red and Sabrina not to dwell on what was said earlier. "I will always remember what you've done for our family. Later, I'd like to gift you an exceptionally talented psychic-type Pokémon. I hope you'll like it. When the time is right, I'll contact you myself!"
The middle-aged man exchanged phone numbers through Red's Pokédex and suggested he return to the Saffron Gym in a few days. He guaranteed that the Pokémon he would give Red would definitely satisfy him.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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