Pallet Town — Professor Oak's Training Fields
The morning sun bathed the open fields of Pallet Town in golden light, but there was no warmth in the air.
Only tension.
Determination.
And a sharp undercurrent of worry.
Skylar moved through the field with precise commands.
Charizard blasted controlled Flamethrowers across moving targets.
Scizor darted through complex obstacle courses with terrifying speed.
Gyarados unleashed powerful, precise Water Pulses in massive arcs.
Gardevoir floated serenely, her aura shimmering around her body, weaving intricate Psychic barriers.
Nearby, Giselle trained diligently with her Gallade and Espeon.
Her Gallade sliced through training dummies with perfect martial precision, while her Espeon used dazzling beams of psychic energy to disable moving targets.
Giselle's face was focused and intense.
Every movement, every command, carried a new kind of strength.
A strength she hadn't possessed weeks ago.
At the edge of the field, Professor Oak watched them quietly.
Approval flickered in his eyes, but also concern.
His thoughts wandered often—to Gary, to Ash, to the world now teetering closer to war with every passing day.
Suddenly, a pulse of psychic energy brushed across the field like a silent wind.
Skylar tensed instinctively and turned his gaze.
At the far end of the field stood Sabrina.
Her presence alone shifted the air, commanding attention without a single word.
Skylar jogged toward her, sweat dripping down his brow.
"Sabrina?"
The psychic master nodded once, her eyes locked not on him—but on Gardevoir.
"I felt it from the road," Sabrina said softly, almost to herself.
She stepped closer, studying Gardevoir with an intensity that made the air hum.
"Your Gardevoir…" she said, "…is suppressing herself."
Skylar blinked, confused.
"She's strong," he said.
Sabrina turned her violet gaze onto him.
"She's powerful, yes. But she's capping her potential unconsciously. She's limiting herself."
Skylar frowned.
"How?"
Sabrina's voice lowered.
"She was trained to protect. To shield. But not to dominate. Not to ascend."
Skylar turned back to Gardevoir, who floated calmly in place, her eyes glowing faintly.
"She's always been gentle," he murmured.
Sabrina nodded.
"And that's her greatest strength. But also her greatest chain."
She faced him fully now.
"If you allow it, I can unlock what lies beneath."
Skylar hesitated.
He trusted Gardevoir more than anything.
He wouldn't force anything on her.
He called softly.
"Gardevoir?"
The Psychic-type floated over, regarding Sabrina carefully.
Skylar knelt beside her.
"She wants to help you grow. But only if you want it."
There was a pause.
Then Gardevoir closed her eyes and nodded firmly.
Sabrina allowed a faint, approving smile.
"Tomorrow," she said. "We begin."
Back across the field, Giselle approached, wiping sweat from her brow, her Espeon padding quietly at her side.
She tilted her head in curiosity.
"What's going on?"
Skylar explained briefly about Sabrina's offer.
Giselle listened carefully, glancing at Gardevoir with renewed respect.
"If she's saying there's more hidden in Gardevoir," Giselle said, "then it's something extraordinary."
Skylar nodded, feeling excitement and nervousness coil inside him.
But no matter how hard they trained, no matter how much they prepared—
The absence of news from Gary lingered over them like a storm cloud.
Skylar glanced westward, toward the horizon beyond Pallet Town.
Somewhere out there, Gary was risking everything.
And if he failed...
Their fight might be over before it even began.