"Miss Sabrina."
"You ask me for... martial force and brute courage... truly an... incomparably luxurious request."
Ash spread his hands, as if displaying his complete emptiness.
Although he still carried Gyarados, Pidgeotto, and Charmeleon on him, this combat power was completely insufficient.
It was known that at four years old, Sabrina could blow up a large villa with her psychic powers. And now, the twenty-year-old Sabrina could shroud an entire city within her psychic field.
...Even if Sabrina fought personally without using any Pokémon, the combined might of Gyarados, Pidgeotto, and Charmeleon couldn't possibly defeat her.
"With my current strength, it is impossible to defeat you."
"So, how about hearing me out?"
Ash chose to speak clearly. It was impossible to defeat Sabrina with martial force, so he had to use ideas! And language is the weapon that carries ideas!
As the saying goes, [Words and weapons can both hurt people].
...Who knows why this loose cannon Sabrina is doing this! Ash still felt there were too many things to roast about this situation.
"Speaking of martial force, it is nothing but an ant flapping its wings powerlessly against the vast sky."
"Speaking of brute courage, it is nothing but a frog in a well croaking blindly at the stars."
"Obviously, the truth is that my full power cannot even touch the breeze raised by the hem of your clothes."
"The disparity in power between you and me is too great."
"So, the fact that you brought me here implies you do not desire an evenly matched battle."
Considering the atmosphere of the entire Saffron City, Sabrina herself shouldn't be the warmongering type. Then why did she target him? Why would she fixate on me?
Ash kept thinking hard.
"Miss Sabrina, for you who can foresee the future... a definite answer must be something very annoying, right?"
Ash put on a look of understanding Sabrina very well.
"Rumor has it you are very lonely... so what you truly want to see is perhaps, in the face of absolute power disparity, whether I will collapse, beg for mercy, or display some kind of quality... that you find 'interesting'."
"What you want to see is something unexpected."
Ash took a step forward, looking directly into Sabrina's deep eyes.
"Considering you can foresee the future... for you to do something like this, it must be that my future appears blurry in your eyes... right?"
Ash wasn't sure if it was because of his identity? Because he was a transmigrator? Or because of the System? Anyway, her motives could be inferred from her behavior.
From the current intelligence, Sabrina's character design was very simple, not the complex type. That is to say, Sabrina's action logic was very direct.
Sabrina: "..."
Sabrina didn't know what to say. Because Ash was spot on.
Sabrina: Could it be you are also a Psychic, able to foresee the past and future?
Sabrina: But I didn't sense the Alpha waves unique to Psychics on you!
Although Sabrina had such doubts in her heart, she chose to listen to Ash continue.
"Your psychic power is this city's protection, but also the cage shrouding this city."
"You protect this city, yet turn yourself into a caged bird."
"You see the fates of countless people, like reading a script already written."
"You are strong enough to foresee the future, but also because of this... you are bound by the future."
"When everything is expected, doesn't life itself lose its most charming surprises and meaning?"
"...You... are bound by your own psychic powers!"
With Sabrina's power, she should be able to do whatever she wanted. But Ash could tell that Sabrina was clearly restraining herself. Sabrina's life was actually quite simple, like an ascetic monk. And because of this, she could obtain this powerful strength.
"Everything in life is known to you."
"Today, you can already know the vast majority of things happening tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that."
"Keeping everything in your eyes, that is why you can protect this city."
"You crave understanding, you crave communication, you even crave... accidents."
"So, by bringing me here, you don't need a challenger, but need a... person who can understand this loneliness, who can understand you."
Ash: I see! That's it!
Ash: There is only one truth.
This is the only answer!
"I cannot contend with you on the level of power; that is foolish suicide. But I can, on the level of 'meaning', show you another possibility."
"You saw that my future is full of variables, which means I possess the potential to break conventions and create miracles."
"This potential may not be directly used to defeat you, but it can be used to explore those unknown territories that even your foresight cannot touch."
Ash felt the only thing that could attract Sabrina was [The Unknown]. Because Sabrina lived in infinite [Déjà vu], everything she experienced was almost known.
Ash moved forward again, getting closer to Sabrina, almost able to feel the edge of that invisible force field.
"Engaging in a battle with me where you are destined to win, apart from reconfirming your unrivaled power, what else can you gain?"
"Nothing."
"Your battle will only result in an ending of nothingness."
"But if you change the method..."
Ash's voice was full of seduction.
"You can become my 'Guide', not a destroyer."
"You can observe from the side, to see where my future can lead the future of this world."
"You can treat my journey as an unprecedented grand drama."
"You can invest a little attention to gain a brand new experience and cognition."
"This is far more interesting than fighting, isn't it?"
"Defeating me is meaningless to you."
"But guiding me, observing me, you might witness... the birth of a legend."
"And you will be the only, and also the most special audience and... participant behind this."
Ash felt he had racked his brains. This was much more roundabout than his usual wrangling with Pokémon. For Sabrina, simple emotional incitement definitely wouldn't work; he had to speak with reason and evidence. Even if it was sophistry, the logic had to form a closed loop.
"My power, my bonds, my beliefs—these are my 'martial force', my 'brute courage'."
"They are not for destruction, but for protection."
"If you insist on crushing them at this moment, then what you get is just a void."
"But if you are willing to wait, willing to observe, what you see might be a... brilliant future that transcends all your foresight."
Ash decided to try and see if he could turn Sabrina into his aid. Although this approach was a bit audacious. But falling into this situation... the bold die of gluttony, while the timid die of starvation.
"So, Miss Sabrina..."
Ash took a deep breath and made the final summary.
"I am here, not presenting martial force and brute courage to you as a challenger."
"I am issuing an invitation to you as a 'possibility'—"
"I invite you, as an observer, a potential fellow traveler, to see the path I believe in, and the destination it can reach."
"This is the 'strongest challenge' I can carry out—"
"Please give me, and give yourself, a chance to witness 'the unknown'."
Ash: I've done everything I can.
His voice fell.
The entire space fell into a deeper deathly silence than before.
Sabrina hovered there, still without any expression. As if Ash's long speech blending sophistry, philosophy, temptation, and sincerity was just a breeze blowing past a stubborn rock.
She looked at the small boy below who dared to show her another kind of "power".
"Pff—Hahahaha."
Sabrina couldn't hold back her laughter.
She habitually tested martial force and courage. As a result, Ash used wisdom and eloquence.
"Interesting... remarks."
"It's just that I'm curious about one thing."
For Sabrina, Ash's reaction was indeed unexpected... and this was indeed what she wanted to see.
Sabrina wanted to see someone who didn't fear her.
Sabrina wanted to see someone who didn't fear her power.
She was indeed lonely and solitary.
"Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot of nonsense?"
Is Sabrina easy to fool?
How is that possible!
But this time it really hit the strike zone.
Plus, Ash's actions all along also proved he wasn't just talking empty words or bullshitting. Words have power, but actions are what support this power.
Sabrina's reaction also made Ash sigh in relief. If they can communicate, the problem isn't big.
It's just...
Ash (O_O): Could it be that the talk therapy failed?
Ash (□_□): Gah! I don't want that kind of outcome!
Ash (OvO): But she's already laughed, I should have passed this stage, right?
____
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