After giving Pikachu half an hour to rest, Alakazam once again used Psychic on Pikachu, continuing the training to overcome psychic control.
In order to truly share Pikachu's experience, Ash explicitly asked Alakazam to use Psychic on him as well, so he could endure and resist the psychic force together with Pikachu.
"That's really Ash's style. Though he can be a bit reckless, being able to move forward shoulder to shoulder with Pokémon is also one of his unique charms." Red softly praised, careful not to let Ash get carried away again.
"Nephew Red, while Alakazam is still training Ash and Pikachu, I'll take you to receive your Pokémon!" Lucci said.
"Sounds good." Red nodded in agreement.
"Ebi!"
Hitmonchan at the side waved its fists as well, eager to see what kind of Pokémon could possibly receive such importance.
Pushing open the main doors and stepping into the Saffron Gym, some staff members were still persisting in their psychic training, though most had made little remarkable progress.
Lucci led Red to a room. Upon pushing the door open, they saw the usually aloof Sabrina holding a book titled Newbie Romance: 100% Success Secret Guide, carefully reading the page in her hands. From time to time, she revealed a strange smile, completely unaware of her father and Red's arrival.
"Ahem!"
Lucci was the first who couldn't bear to watch any longer and knocked on the door to signal their presence.
"Ah—Dad, when did you and Red get here!"
Sabrina hurriedly hid the book, her face instantly flushing red, completely lacking the cold aura she had just moments ago.
"Wasn't I bringing Red to receive his Pokémon? If you hadn't insisted on handing it to him personally, I would've given it to him already!" Lucci said helplessly.
"Didn't we agree to keep it a secret!" Sabrina puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"You've changed a lot…" Red remarked with emotion. Perhaps this was the life Sabrina should have had all along, instead of sealing off her heart with psychic powers as she once did.
"That's also thanks to your help…"
Lucci couldn't help but shed tears of gratitude, thankful for Red's arrival back then. Otherwise, the scene before him might have remained nothing more than a distant dream.
"Alright, alright, don't be so emotional. Isn't everything getting better now?"
At that moment, Sabrina's mother stepped forward, urging Lucci to tactfully leave and give Red and Sabrina some private space.
Even Hitmonchan, who had been following behind Red, was reluctantly dragged away by Sabrina's parents.
"Long time no see…" Sabrina said awkwardly, unsure how to find a topic.
"It's been fine, though we just met last night…" Red replied leisurely.
The topic ended instantly. An awkward atmosphere spread through every corner of the room. Meanwhile, Sabrina's parents, who had just left, secretly hid nearby, quietly observing their daughter's performance.
After a brief stalemate, Sabrina was the one who broke the silence. She took out an exquisite gift box and handed it to Red. The bow on top seemed to have been tied by her personally, slightly messy in appearance. Yet from this small detail, Red sensed her goodwill and smiled gently at her.
"This is the Pokémon I'm giving you. I hope you'll like it," Sabrina said softly.
Red quietly said "Thank you," then unwrapped the gift and took the Poké Ball placed inside.
"Come out, my new partner!"
Red tossed the Poké Ball into the air. As the white light faded, a shiny silver Abra appeared in Red's arms. Abra seemed as though it had just woken up, yawning while rubbing its sleepy eyes.
Just as Red was about to stroke Abra's forehead, Abra's eyes suddenly glowed blue. It used Psychic to restrain Red's hands, preventing him from touching its forehead. Then it used Teleport, instantly disappearing from Red's embrace.
"This child is actually a bit of a problem," Sabrina explained. "As a shiny Pokémon, this Abra was born with exceptionally strong mental power. Unlike ordinary Abra that sleep eighteen hours a day, it doesn't need that much rest. Sometimes it just sits alone in a corner, muttering who knows what."
"Looks like this child's parents were at least Kadabra…" Red pondered briefly. "No, with such outstanding talent, its parents must have been powerful Alakazam."
"According to my guess, its parents may have abandoned it early on because of its different coloration. That dazzling silver may seem rare and beautiful to humans, but to ordinary Pokémon, shiny Pokémon are often viewed like monsters possessed by demons. No Pokémon dares approach them."
Sabrina told Red about Abra's background. At the time, Lucci had accidentally encountered Abra rummaging through a trash can in an alley. Out of sympathy, he wanted to secretly give it some food. However, the proud Abra refused to accept charity and wouldn't eat what Lucci offered, leaving him no choice but to leave helplessly.
A few days later, Lucci ran into Abra again. This time, Abra had grown so thin that it lay powerless in the alley, collapsing from hunger. Unable to bear watching it like that, Lucci tried to take it to the Pokémon Center for treatment, only to be met with Abra's resistance.
With no other choice, Lucci sent out Alakazam, forcibly capturing Abra into a Poké Ball. Only then could he bring it to the Pokémon Center for treatment.
Afterward, Abra stayed by Lucci's side. He carefully looked after it, but to this day, he still hadn't gained its acknowledgment. Abra treated Lucci more like a father figure.
Through Sabrina's explanation, Red roughly pieced together the timeline. When Lucci first met Abra, Red had not yet arrived in Saffron City. That meant Sabrina was still in her out-of-control phase, so it was only natural that Lucci had raised Abra alone.
"This Abra has excellent talent, but that also indirectly shaped its arrogance. If someone can't show strength worthy of its loyalty, it won't acknowledge them as its Trainer," Sabrina explained.
"Ebi!"
Upon hearing this, Hitmonchan could no longer restrain its excitement. It burst through the door, fists raised and battle spirit blazing, eager to test Abra's strength.
"There's no need to be so tense, Hitmonchan." Red covered his face helplessly. "With Abra's current strength, it's not enough to battle you. Don't get so excited."
"Ebi…"
Hearing this, Hitmonchan looked disappointed. It had thought it would finally get to show off its skills—only for it to end like this…
Abra ignored everyone's reactions. It quietly hid in a corner, muttering to itself. Though others couldn't understand, Hitmonchan's expression suddenly turned stunned, staring at Abra in disbelief, as if thinking—what kind of problem child is this?
(Hmph, foolish mortals. Do you think you can earn my loyalty just by appearance alone? How ridiculous!)
Abra sneered inwardly. If not for Lucci saving its life, it would have run away long ago. Why would it remain in this small Saffron Gym?