After the encounter with the Spearow flock, the group's cycling speed wasn't quite as fast as before, though they weren't exactly slow either.
Soon enough.
The silhouette of Saffron City finally emerged on the horizon.
Saffron City was a massive metropolis extending in all directions, located centrally between Cerulean City, Celadon City, Vermilion City, and Lavender Town.
It was the largest and busiest city in the entire Kanto region, and it was famous in other regions as well.
The colossal headquarters of Silph Co. towered in the very center of the city, while two Gyms jointly occupied the northeast corner.
This was not only the central business district of the Kanto region but also housed the region's largest infrastructure, including the Magnet Train station that connected Kanto and Johto.
It was the greatest metropolis of the United Kanto region—an economic center flashing with golden brilliance.
Distinct from the atmosphere of Celadon City, which was wrapped harmoniously in nature and commerce, an invisible sense of oppression quietly descended before they had even truly stepped into this city.
Ash subconsciously raised his head, gazing at the azure sky that was sliced apart by the skyscrapers.
The sunlight remained bright, and clouds drifted as usual, yet an indescribable sense of "estrangement" lingered in his heart.
It was as if a thin film—invisible and intangible, yet truly existing—was draped over the entire city of Saffron like an inverted giant bowl.
The air seemed to become denser than the outside world, and the light appeared to carry a strange refractive quality.
Ash knew very well that this wasn't a physically existing substance... but in his perception, it was exactly that.
It was something that did not exist in a material sense, but existed in a spiritual sense.
"Do you feel it?" Brock's voice sounded from the side, and one could vaguely sense a trace of imperceptible gravity in it.
The Vulpix in his arms also seemed somewhat uneasy, shifting slightly and curling its fluffy tail tighter.
"It is said that Miss Sabrina is the strongest Psychic in the Kanto region, or rather... the entire world."
Brock's gaze was also cast toward the sky above the city, where there was nothing, yet it was filled with invisible power.
Ash's feeling was not wrong; there was indeed something there.
"This sensation shrouding the entire city is not an illusion."
"There are rumors that her immense psychic power influences this city at all times. It can even form a genuine psychic barrier sufficient to withstand external attacks when needed."
Brock paused, then added.
His tone carried obvious apprehension:
"In this city, there is almost nothing that can be hidden from her perception... if she is willing."
This was considered a secret well-known among high-level Trainers... though everyone tacitly suppressed the spread of this news among ordinary people.
Otherwise, it would be too easy to cause panic.
Misty couldn't help but shudder, hugging her arms tightly as if doing so could dispel that invisible pressure.
She looked at Ash, her tone more serious than ever before, even carrying a hint of pleading:
"Ash, listen to me!"
"When we get to the Saffron Gym later, you must have a better attitude. Rein in your 'Mr. Know-It-All' theories and that tendency you sometimes have to be reckless!"
She emphasized:
"We are here to challenge the Saffron Gym and obtain the Marsh Badge!"
"Our opponents are the Gym's subordinate trainers, the assessment mechanism of the Gym..."
"You are challenging the Gym, not Miss Sabrina herself!"
The difference between these two points was enormous.
If the goal was to challenge the Saffron Gym, winning was possible. Sabrina would not use her psychic powers in a formal Gym battle.
Even if a Trainer was unlucky enough to encounter Sabrina... it wasn't as if there were no records of victory.
But if the target of the challenge was the Psychic, Sabrina... not a single victory had been heard of in all these years.
Although Saffron City was the most developed area in human society... the strong generally did not like coming here.
The stronger the person who came here, the more they could feel that the gap between humans was larger than the gap between humans and dogs.
Sabrina was just too outrageous.
"Do you understand the difference here?"
"Absolutely do not do anything that might be misunderstood as provoking Miss Sabrina!"
Misty's worry was palpable.
Rumors about Sabrina were widely circulated in the circle of Kanto Trainers, including many bizarre stories that chilled one's spine.
It was even said that Sabrina's Pokémon themselves were dead weights dragging down her true strength.
As for Sabrina's abilities, they were abstract to the point of making one's scalp tingle.
For example: Future Sight, spatial manipulation, material destruction, turning humans into puppets, turning puppets into living people, telepathy, personality control, size alteration...
"..." Ash remained silent, pulling down the brim of his hat. The shadow covered most of his face, making his expression unclear.
"I know." He naturally knew that Sabrina was ridiculously strong.
From the anime and games to this more realistic world he was now in...
He had long been mentally prepared for the terror of the Psychic Queen of Saffron City.
But knowing it was one thing; experiencing it personally was another.
This mighty power of covering a massive city with one's own psychic ability, twisting the perception of reality...
This is simply... a humanoid Legendary Pokémon, isn't it? Ash roasted silently in his heart.
If Sabrina was already this terrifying.
What kind of ghost-like performance would Mewtwo have?
Ash recalled the scene in the movie where Mewtwo dominated the vast ocean and sky, where a single [Rain Dance] created a storm everywhere—the range was beyond imagination.
He felt that this world seemed to be getting worse and worse.
The overall level of high-end combat power was constantly rising.
When those strongest guys came out, would they really destroy the world?
The slight confidence brought by the improvement of his team's strength seemed so insignificant in the face of this spiritual field as vast as heaven and earth.
This was not a chasm that could be easily crossed by tactics, bonds, or on-the-spot outbursts.
This was a dimensional gap—a genuine case of breaking skill with force, where absolute power creates miracles.
—And it wasn't like Sabrina lacked skill either...
—Caitlin, who excelled in brute force, couldn't perform Sabrina's delicate manipulations, but conversely, Sabrina could use brute force...
—A four-year-old Sabrina could easily destroy a large villa, the kind that gets crushed flat.
Ash touched the few Poké Balls in his pocket. The fluctuations coming from the spheres seemed to be responding to his touch, appearing to soothe his slightly taut nerves.
Whether it was Gyarados, Pidgeotto, or Charmeleon, they all believed in Ash.
Even Pikachu, who usually feared nothing in heaven or earth, was currently squatting quietly on Ash's shoulder.
Its tail drooped slightly, and its electric sacs flickered occasionally.
"Mai, mai..." Misdreavus shrank directly into Ash's shadow, revealing only a pair of large eyes, cautiously observing this city that made her feel instinctive fear.
In a sense, this place also had a certain counter to Ghost-types... Ghost-types found it very hard to escape psychic perception.
Emm... saying that wasn't quite right either.
Unlike in the games, psychic power here was very versatile... the crappiest thing about the game of reality is that it doesn't talk about game balance.
Psychic power could manipulate the earth, wind, water, and fire in the environment to attack.
For example: manipulating moisture in the atmosphere to form optical lenses for focusing light.
...Powerful psychic abilities could even twist space, forming spatial black holes to attack... similar to Kakashi's Kamui from Naruto.
In short, they really were superior beings.
However, fortunately, even among Psychic-type Pokémon, very few could achieve this degree.
With complex moods, the group stepped across the boundary of Saffron City.
In that instant, it was as if they passed through a curtain of cool water. The change in "density" in the air became more obvious, and the sounds by their ears seemed separated by a layer of gauze.
Inside the city, traffic still flowed and people wove back and forth, but if one looked closely, the expressions of many citizens appeared extremely flat.
Or perhaps, it was a tranquility soothed by an invisible force?
Occasionally, one could see people clearly dressed as Trainers, their faces carrying varying degrees of restraint and vigilance similar to Ash's group.
Following Erika's previous arrangement, they quickly found the family perfume shop located in the bustling area of Saffron City.
After returning the three high-performance bicycles, the person in charge of the shop was a well-dressed lady with a gentle smile.
She seemed to have received notification long ago and skillfully handled the handover procedures without asking much.
She simply said one sentence softly as they were leaving: "I wish you all everything goes smoothly in Saffron City."
This sentence was incredibly ordinary, yet in this environment, it inexplicably felt like it held deep meaning.
...Or perhaps the group was just purely spooked and being paranoid?
Leaving the perfume shop.
The three decided to go to the Pokémon Center first to settle down, allowing the Pokémon who had experienced the journey and the recent Spearow incident to get ample rest and recovery. At the same time, they could ask about the specific situation of the Saffron Gym.
The Pokémon Center in Saffron City was even grander than the one in Celadon City.
The pristine white building shone under the sunlight, and the huge Poké Ball logo at the entrance emitted a reassuring aura.
However, even this place did not seem to have completely escaped the influence of that omnipresent psychic field.
Inside the center... it was quieter than imagined.
It wasn't that it lacked popularity; Trainers and their Pokémon still came and went.
But conversations were subconsciously hushed, and even the cries of Pokémon appeared much more restrained, as if they were afraid of disturbing something.
An inexplicable atmosphere of solemnity permeated the air.
"Hello, Nurse Joy." Ash walked to the front desk and showed his Pokédex to the Nurse Joy, who looked gentle but had exceptionally clear eyes. "We need to check in. Also, my Pokémon need to recover."
Nurse Joy took the Pokédex and operated it skillfully, a sweet smile on her face.
But her gaze lingered on Ash's face for a split second. That look seemed capable of penetrating appearances and reaching directly into the heart.
Ash felt a trace of an imperceptible sense of being pried into, but it vanished in a flash.
"Alright, Trainer Ash from Pallet Town, rooms have been arranged for you and your companions." Nurse Joy's voice was soft and pleasant as she handed the Pokédex and room key cards back.
"Additionally, regarding Pokémon recovery..."
She paused, speaking with pointed intent.
"In Saffron City, whether for Trainers or Pokémon, maintaining 'inner peace' is very important."
"Excessive anxiety, anger, or fear is sometimes harder to cure than physical injuries."
"Meditation is helpful for your journey in Saffron City."
Sabrina herself couldn't possibly pay attention to everyone in the entire city at all times.
But under Sabrina's influence, the entire city tended toward the tranquility of meditation—this was a state of Sabrina's cultivation.
If anyone couldn't blend into this atmosphere... they would easily be rejected by the environment as a whole.
Ash's heart stirred, and he nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Nurse Joy."
He took the room card and was just about to leave.
Nurse Joy added another sentence, her voice still gentle:
"The Saffron Gym is one of the most important facilities in this city. Miss Sabrina does not like meaningless disturbances, nor does she appreciate challengers who are too 'lively'."
"I suggest you all make full preparations before challenging, not just in terms of strength, but also in terms of mindset."
These words were already spoken quite plainly.
Misty nodded repeatedly from the side, nudging Ash secretly with her elbow to signal him to remember.
Brock responded steadily: "We understand. Thank you very much for your advice, Nurse Joy."
Brock's heart was currently very calm; he didn't even have any presumptuous thoughts about Nurse Joy.
—Amitabha~
After handing the Poké Balls to Chansey to be sent for treatment and recovery, the three arrived at their arranged room.
Closing the door seemed to temporarily cut off that ubiquitous pressure outside. Misty finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Whew... did you feel that? Even the Pokémon Center is like that..." She slumped into a chair. "That Nurse Joy, don't tell me she also..."
She didn't finish, but the meaning was obvious.
Brock put down the luggage: "It's very likely."
"Within Miss Sabrina's range of influence, people who work for a long time will more or less be subject to some spiritual assimilation or influence."
"That Nurse Joy clearly knows the key to this."
This kind of change couldn't be called good, nor could it be called bad.
Some people even liked inner peace very much.
Brock looked at Ash:
"Ash, Nurse Joy's words were definitely not alarmist talk."
"Miss Sabrina's power is beyond imagination. Perhaps the way she views the world is completely different from ours."
"You must pay attention to emotional control when challenging the Gym..."
"Overly intense emotional fluctuations might attract unnecessary attention and cause unexpected consequences."
This attention and consequences weren't necessarily bad.
After all, Sabrina was one of the main members of the Kanto League, and her factional stance still leaned toward the League.
But this attention would definitely trigger accidents.
Back when Sabrina first became the Gym Leader, there were indeed many challengers who didn't know their own limits.
Then, after coming out one by one, they all kept their mouths shut about their experiences.
They became capable only of praise—Miss Sabrina is number one under heaven, Miss Sabrina is unparalleled in beauty, Miss Sabrina...
Even the Fighting Dojo, which vied with the Saffron Gym for the qualification of Saffron City's main Gym, perished under Sabrina's unconscious suppression.
You ask the Fighting Dojo to be calm and peaceful?
Who could stand that!
Sabrina didn't even take it seriously, but the Fighting Dojo already couldn't handle it.
For a group of martial artists, if they couldn't get their emotions up, what the hell kind of fighting could they do!
They tried to challenge Sabrina, wanting to persuade her physically... well, challenging Sabrina, not challenging the Saffron Gym.
And then there was no 'and then'.
Rumor had it they lost despairingly... it seemed they encountered some kind of god-tier matchmaking mechanism.
It was like—a certain young girl named Miya practiced boxing at age four, becoming the champion of her tier at age nine. She could be called a genius boxer... then she went to fight a boxing match, supposedly matched with an opponent of equal strength... but on the day of the match, she encountered the legendary boxing champion, Tyson.
Fighting Dojo Leader · Karate King Kiyo: Something's wrong! We're both Gym Leaders, how can the difference be this big?!
Saffron Gym Leader · Psychic Queen · Sabrina: I have seen many geniuses, but they all call me the genius.
In short, the fish in the lake attracted the attention of the fisherman, and the fisherman threw down a stone... the ripples caused could even spread across the entire lake surface.
Of course, it's possible a stone was thrown down.
It's also possible more fish bait was thrown down to chum the water.
The Baiting Sage: Let me tell you something. The Yangtze River fishing ban doesn't ban those single-rod fishermen because the state knows that while they say they are fishing, they are actually feeding the fish.
Ash sat by the bed, his fingers unconsciously rubbing a Poké Ball.
He recalled the Sabrina from the anime who turned failed challengers into dolls, and the strangely unpredictable Gym maze from the game.
In this more realistic world, what kind of existence would that Psychic Queen be?
"I understand." Ash finally spoke, his voice somewhat low. "I won't mess around."
He raised his head. Although there was still solemnity in his eyes, there was more of an aroused fighting spirit and caution.
Ash: Anyway, let's just go for it!
"Since we're here, we have to challenge the Gym no matter what..."
"I want to get the 8 mainstream Kanto Gym Badges!"
____
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