Love's best friend is Hate

*bows* This is actually my fifth English fanfic and my 1827492018th in general (no kidding, I'm just bad at Math).

Love's best friend is Hate

Disclaimer: Seriously, if I owned Pokemon, would I sit in front of my Notebook writing fanfictions?!?

Genre: x-chaptered fic (means I don't know how many, I think 3-5)

Summary: After a bitter disappointment at the Gym Leader's Conference, Sabrina and her new, involuntary 'rival' William are the only ones left to save the gym leaders. Is Indigo doomed or will they learn to work together instead of bickering 24/7?

Rating: PG-13 for minor swearing, minor adult themes, a few droplets of blood might fall, too

Pairings: Psychicshipping (Will x Sabrina), Blackthornshipping (Lance x Clair)

A/N: Yeah, this is a translation of my original fic, which was written in 2003/2004. I re-wrote most of the parts, as the old plot was, *ehem*, crappy, too. ^^;;;
About my time line: Pokemon Anime started in 1997, Gold/Silver came out in 1999, so this fic *theoretically* takes place in 1999. Of course, this doesn't really work out with Ash's Sinnoh Journey, but heh, the anime's timeline is messed up. >>

1. Chapter: Meetings&Misbehaviours

A mixture of snow and rain was slowly falling against the windows of the train and flowing downwards in a bizarre pattern of miniature rivers. In the middle of the railway route between Saffron City and what could be called the City of Indigo Mountains, headquarters of the Pokemon League, the climate was changing abruptly. From the cold, but fluid water droplets of Pewter's late March to the frozen crystals of the mountains. The Magnet Train was stomping through them like some huge Donphan forcing its way through the undergrowth. For most people, this trip consisted of nothing of interest, maybe leafing through the clichéd romance novel just purchased at train station's book store to kill their boredom, or staring out of the watered window to gaze mindlessly at the rushing, rapidly shifting landscape. It wasn't a time to think of the future, even though train stations always had been a symbol of arrival and departure, which had a significant influence on people's lives.

But as common as most trains' passengers were, one of them was certainly an exception. Sabrina Bennett was on a trip that fit into the metaphor of changing, even though she didn't know it yet. To her, it was a business trip- as business as one could get. Even though the Magnet Train had been yet another, big addition to Saffron's ever growing importance to the Pokemon World, and she was happy for the common citizens to have such a fast and modern way to travel, she didn't use it herself regularly. Teleporting was just faster, and a good way of keeping her daily routine of training- a routine not affected even by her 'healing'.

But as Indigo Plateau was just too far away to teleport to and Gym Leader Conferences weren't happening all too often, she could afford this little slip into ordinariness.

She closed her eyes as yet another kindergarten group was bustling into the wagon, their babbles loud enough to block out the rain's rattle. With patience trained by her own classes, she shut out the noise and concentrated on the e-mail sent to her by Lance with an unwanted feeling of joy. Gym Leader Conferences weren't called for fun, publicity or paparazzi's joy; even though malicious tongues claimed the opposite, there had to be a reason behind. A good reason, for it wasn't easy and cheap to coordinate sixteen gym leaders' lives and safety. But Sabrina felt, and knew that the expenditure wasn't for nothing. This time, Lance would introduce them to the new Elites.
A small smile crept onto her face, one that used to never smile, then scare. She was sure to be one of them.

Grey snow was splashing against the window of the bureaus of the League's headquarters, slowly blurring the truly beautiful view one had over the mountains, bathing everything in its unity.

Lance Gray was staring outside, but at the same time, wasn't. He didn't seem to be on alert, his gaze tired and endless, his eyes receiving nothing but dreariness. He felt like it.
"Have I made the right decision?" He asked no one in particular, even though his new secretary and his girlfriend were present.

Clair answered for him. "You have, dear, you have. The public wouldn't have liked to see her as one of them. The Elites represent Kanto and Johto, our nations. Just imagine the scandal if a known schizophrenic enters!"
Lance didn't react, just kept on glazing outside. "She won't take this lightly."

"Final stop: Indigo City. Dear passengers of Indigo Train Company, we thank you for travelling with the Magnet Train and request you to..."

Sabrina grabbed her bag, not bothering with trying to get squeezed out of the overfilled wagon. Instead, she concentrated on the image of the League's headquarter, the grey building filled with so much power and coldness, and yet, stylish and modern. It was Lance's way of showing the world that they were more than just a bunch of trainers, intellectuals, business men, politicians. They ruled Indigo.

She grinned as a light tingle overtook her skin, the world around her changing into a spiral of colours fading into white. Every student of her described teleportation differently; some even felt pain when teleporting, yet she never did. Maybe it was for the experience she already had.

The world faded into view again, the colours re-arranging as if they'd been programmed to. No one was within the premises, with the great gates and fences keeping unauthorized persons out, being protected by security men and their Growlithe. Even outside, no spectators could be seen, as people crawled to their firesides during this cold weather. She was rather happy for that, as she didn't like her privacy being invaded, being photographed. She started to regret destroying the films afterwards.

Indigo City had too many hotels to count. It was a tourism magnet, the mountains used for winter sport activities, the city itself for persecuting the Elite Four. Sabrina laughed inwardly. The *Five* of them weren't even spending the whole year here, as they had so much better destinations than this cold, underdeveloped, hostile mountain range. Nothing, compared to the busy bustle of Saffron or Celadon. She would most likely come back from time to time, too, as a girl her age, born and raised in a big city, was not used to this utter boringness.

The hotel Lance had chosen for them was at the south edge of town, at least a five minute walk away from the headquarters. Thank God he had called taxis, for teleporting around a few times a day was exhausting and the other gym leaders were probably not willing to walk every time.

Surrounded by mighty firs, the branches carrying huge amounts of snow, everything felt...tranquil. Peaceful. Shuddering unconsciously in the wet snow, she pulled the black coat closer to her and quickly marched over to the glass doors. Tracks of humanity could still be seen, as the other gym leaders and staff had imprinted their footprints into the newly fallen snow earlier in the day. Yet she wasn't late. The meeting was announced to start tomorrow afternoon; the gym leaders present here just wanted to enjoy the company of themselves, as friendships had been built between them over the years. Sabrina sighed as she walked through the lobby, the floor covered by white tiles, shining like Donphan's tusks. Apparently that had been a thing she had been late for; after her healing, no one trusted her enough to dare befriend her. Of course, after a while, the fear had ebbed down a bit, but not enough to make her get up hours earlier in order to make it to the welcoming party in time. Lonely? Yes, maybe she was lonely. But she didn't feel lonely, so the facts couldn't bother her less.

Walking up to the likewise white reception desk, she shushed these thoughts out of her mind. What did it matter if she was lonely or not, when she was about to be introduced to the highest council of Indigo, the true political power, a position she had always dreamed of? She didn't mind that she would have to leave her family, her gym, her students behind for a long time, for this kind of power was just too much to deny it. Power was addicting, especially for someone who already had much power in her hand, physical and psychical.

"The hotel keys, please." Lance was always keen on keeping his herd of Mareep together, a measure both born out of safety reasons and control addiction, so it was him who chose the hotel, the floor, even the rooms. That didn't mean that they were about to spend the night in rooms resembling tons or huts, no. The League's champion had enough money to buy the whole hotel if necessary, and seen realistically, that's what he did. Sealing them off in a golden cage for the time being.

The blond, curly haired girl at the reception- certainly bleary-eyed and filled up with caffeine, trying her to keep her head from bumping onto the desk, slowly pulled out a small cardboard box, grabbed a random plastic bag with a key inside and pushed it over. She didn't ask for the application form, or even the name, but gym leaders were popular and Sabrina didn't mind getting over with this quickly. Neither her or the girl were in the mood for arguing over various forms and signatures and she knew she wouldn't refrain from using her powers if irritated too much. The girl had most likely fought with the other gym leaders previously and didn't deserve a pounding headache- if she wasn't suffering from one already.

Taking a deep breath of air, fresher than it would ever be in Saffron, Sabrina went to the hotel's lift, hoping to find the same serene atmosphere that had been outside in her hotel room. How wrong she was.

"Whoa!" Will ducked as yet another cushion flew his way. "Karen! Please, believe me, I didn't steal any of your...eek.... hair spray!" The woman gasped, jumped over the sofa armrest and hit him yet again. "Oh yeah? Then tell me why the bottle's empty when I just bought it a week ago!" "Umm, maybe you're using it too much?" He knew before that it was a mistake to suggest this, but there was no other strategy of defending himself.
Diving out of the way, Will cursed Lance for locking him up with his new 'partner'. All he did was make it out of the employment battle alive at the same time as her, by chance. That was enough to make him deserve this punishment? Silently, he prayed that he would survive this week and never have to stay with her in one room again. Psychic and Dark did just not mix.

Sabrina already knew that something was wrong when she arrived on the 4th floor and there was screaming. All the other floors had been as silent as death, covered by snow outside; but not this one. She growled, wondering what young spirits were making this noise and praying that they would stop soon enough to escape her punishment.

Her mood didn't get any better when she found out that her room was dangerously close to the one where the sound came from. She growled, but she was yet too polite to go inside and silence whoever was inside. She would just wait...but not forever. She was respectful, but not deaf. And just like everyone else, she deserved her peace. Maybe even more than others. A psychic's mind was fragile, the stronger the frailer; and before the conference, she needed all the focus she could manage to raise. Unfortunately, the noise didn't help at all. She snorted and took out the key. Whatever was wrong with these people, it would soon stop- be stopped by her. She wouldn't allow anyone to disturb her presence.

A quiet click and the wooden door opened to lead her into the pleasantly big room, just like she had expected it from Lance. He was a show-off- a special kind of show-off that liked to impress his own peers, his gym leaders instead of paparazzi and reporters that would only tear apart every single pokedollar he had spent on already rich trainers instead of the poor. But she wasn't one to let herself be influenced. She didn't enjoy this opulence; psychics shouldn't cling too much to worldly possessions. It was a reason for her to despise luxury, though she didn't in reality. Her own family was too wealthy for her to ignore it.

Sabrina dropped her bag on the carpet and the keys on the small round tablet next to the bed. The room was well kept and tidy, just like she had expected it from this price range. The hotel manager- being given hell by Lance for sure- had instructed his subordinates to be even more accurate than usual. It wasn't hard to see that the cleaning men had overdone themselves; everything looked artificially pure, the wood smelling of polish spray mixed with the window cleaner. The tiles reflected the light of the gilded bathroom lamps, almost mirroring her pale face. The bathtub- of course the biggest model one could find- had several whirlpool nozzles pre-installed. Sabrina sighed and walked out of the bathroom again, plunging onto the bed, closing her eyes. Only the best for the most well-known elemental trainers of the continent. Who asked if they even needed it? Who asked if they were worth the money? She didn't care. For them, all that mattered was going uphill, going to the top. From junior trainer to gym trainer to gym leader. To Elite Trainer. She allowed a small smile to triumph over her stoic expression. It was time for her next step.

Suddenly, unexpected, the noise next to her room started again. The words were muffled through the walls, but it was still annoying, like the buzz of an ever present insect. It could be seen as a small speck in this oasis of serenity, a small disturbance compared to the amenities here. Until, equally suddenly, the door was flung open and through her own ajar door, Sabrina could see a pale, tall woman, her wavy, flax-coloured hair settling down on her back. She looked angry, and her eyes, just as pale as her hair, flared with an intense fume.

"I don't care what the hell Lance said, Will. Never again will I share a room with you." Sabrina cocked an eyebrow. So apparently, this woman had something to do with Lance. Could it be...? No, Sabrina didn't really want to think about it, even though the possibility wasn't deniable.

There was an answer from out of the room, for sure, but it was too soft to recognise or understand the words. Either way, it only seemed to irritate the woman even more. Instead of barking at her previous prey, though, she took notice of Sabrina's existence, snorting as gentle as a prosperous woman could without endangering her status. "What're staring at, *****?" Sabrina, if at all, reacted only slowly and faintly. "Nothing." Karen growled. "You've been eavesdropping on us, haven't you? God help you if you lie to me, because I won't avoid punishment. I'm no sensitive, moralistic girlie." "That's one thing I see." Sabrina wasn't overly afraid, for the fighting trainers next to her gym had spelled out worse threats that hadn't affected her at all yet. "And no, I wasn't eavesdropping at all. It's hard to miss your quarrel if one's not deaf. What happened?" "As if I'm one to tell you, weirdo." Karen exhaled deeply. "Don't dare to do that again, unless you want my Umbreon to kick your ass." Sabrina looked up, interested now. "Umbreon? You're a dark trainer?" For a moment, Karen fought with herself, for she wasn't sure if she should continue this conservation or not, but finally, she answered reluctantly. "Yes, I am. And damn proud of it!" Sabrina closed her eyes. "I don't trust in prejudices and yet, you seem to fit in quite well into the chart of a typical dark trainer which says only people with no morals and sinister souls could take control of equally dark pokemon." She opened her eyes again. "Aren't you ashamed of bringing such disgrace over the guild of dark trainers?" "I am the leader of the dark trainers! And they're proud to have me as their head." A few moments passed by in total silence. Sabrina waited.

"You're a psychic trainer, aren't you?" "Yes." She wouldn't be so foolish to deny it; her arrogance didn't allow it anyway. Sabrina and this new woman weren't as different as they thought they were, as false pride was one of humanity's most common flaws. Karen snorted. "Hmpf. You psychics are all the same. Weirdos with an outsized ego. Mistake of Lance to allow one of you into the elites' position, regardless of your power." The young trainer walked out of Sabrina's view. Unbeknown to her, she had only fuelled the psychic's hopes.

The next day started brightly, the rain-snow having finally subsided, as the clouds passed by to allow the sun to shine on the glazing, new snow that decorated everything. Sabrina woke to the sound of the janitor's cursing and the scraping of his snow shovel on the ground. She was almost blinded by the bright light, reflected both by the white walls of her hotel room and the snow on the yard outside. She decided that this day would turn out good, had to turn out good, starting like this. Even though she first had to deal with the annoying pack of other gym leaders, hanging out in the hotel's dinner room, enjoying breakfast. The hotel was all-inclusive; it would be a waste not to use all the offers, especially if it was unlikely to get a better breakfast in town.

She didn't bother with dressing formal, knowing her colleagues; they were probably still wearing their night wardrobes. Heading towards the stairs, she glanced at the door next to her room. It was quiet, almost too quiet. Faintly, she wondered where the woman had gone to, but dismissed these thoughts quickly. Not her concern.

Will sighed; slowly running this hand through his slightly messed up violet hair. He didn't know why Lance had insisted on keeping them away from the gym leaders, as it seemed silly; after all they were going to meet today either way. It was a dreaded thing to be alone with Karen again, eating breakfast in total silence, while downstairs; he could hear the chatter of the other hotel guests. He really wanted to get to know them, but no, he was kept and outcast. And Karen even seemed to enjoy it.

Sabrina did not known what was worse. The noisiness or the complete senselessness of the conversations around her. Or, third option, that there was no table left. She would have to share her meal with some of the others. Closing her eyes, she weighed the alternatives. Skipping breakfast was not one. Aside from the others accusing her of not eating enough, the opportunity was just too good to miss. She would just have to choose the table with the people accepting her, or at least those who were less bothersome.

Finally, she walked up to the table of her fellow Kanto leaders Forest, Misty and Erica. They were chatting and laughing, only noticing her when she already moved the last remaining chair aside. Sitting down without asking, she looked around the group. They had fallen silent, gulping and staring at her. "Good gracious, I know I'm not best company, but don't act as if I'm a witch or something." She had actually been called a witch too many times to like the term anymore, but now and then, she even used the word to describe herself, too.

"Okay, whatever you say." Misty slowly started, chatting being a bit more difficult when knowing that a mind-reader was sitting next to you.

"So, what did you say is Ash doing right now? Sinnoh's league?" Erica continued, glancing sideways. Misty nodded. "Yeah, he's giving it a try and from what he wrote, he's doing pretty good. Even got a new rival. Must be a real jerk, that Paul." "Do you miss him?" asked Forest, his small eyes focussed on the butter. "Hm? Yeah, I think I do. Ash might be dumb, but he's cute." Sabrina rolled her eyes. Dumb was the right word: the kid was lucky Haunter had 'sacrificed' itself for him; otherwise, he might have been another doll in her collection.

"So he's your boyfriend?" Erica teased Misty, causing her to blush a bright pink. "Wha-what? Boyfriend? What're talking about? No, of course not!" "Oh, come on! One can see that you like him, eh?" Misty started to growl. "I said he's cute, so what? Many boys are cute, Forest here is also cute!" Forest suddenly started to choke on his cornflakes, his skin flashing red and blue at the same time. "Yeah, but he's not the 'cute' kind Ash is, eh?" Erica answered back, hitting Forest's back to help him breathe. "Of course not! Ash is the mature kind of cute! Forest is childish cute!" "I am not childish!" Forest spit out. "Ah, so you think Ash is mature?" "No, I think..." "You're radiating with compassion for him. You're embarrassed by this topic because you recognize your feelings for him, yet you're too timid to proclaim them out loud."

Misty froze, staring into space. Forest blinked and Erica tilted her head, not really knowing what was going on. "Um, Sabrina?" She shrugged. "It's way too easy to read it in your aura, and, of course, actions. I don't even need to read your mind."

"You...!" Misty's face was now even redder than her hair and she was fuming at the psychic gym leader. "You're one to tell! With all your powers and mind tricks, how should you know anything, anything about love?! You didn't even have a boyfriend yet, am I right?!" Sabrina gulped silently, lowering her head. She shouldn't have interfered. "Yes..." She answered finally, glancing into another direction. "Not as if it matters anyway."

Hours normally seem to pass by much slowed if you're ardently longing for something. For Sabrina, this didn't seem to apply. The conversation with Misty, Erica and Forest only seemed to be minutes away when she was already getting dressed for the meeting. Searching for her best suit, she felt her hands trembling slightly. She was, in fact, nervous. She knew how the others thought about her, so what would happen when they found out she was going to be an Elite? Would she make a fool out of herself? Would Lance make a fool out of her? The possibilities were there and she tried to think of them all. Only did she forget one.
It wasn't her who would be celebrated today.

A slight coughing went through the conference room. Waves of tenseness crashed against her mind. She tried to keep them out as good as possible, but even she felt her hands become wet with sweat. The reporters outside the building, having now finally arrived in masses, were ripping the microphones and cameras out of each other's hands to catch the newest rumours. It seemed the whole world wanted to know who the new celebrities were, and the world was paying a lot to see their faces first. Lance had done well to keep them away for the long; after all, he was the one who pocketed the securities for the photos. One way to pay for the hotel.

Then, he finally arrived. His long, black cape, theatrically wiping in the non-existing wind of the hall was shining in the artificial light of the neon valves.

He strode through the lines of saluting gym leaders as if he was a war leader, piloting them into battle. The metaphor wasn't farfetched, as Kanto had been in wars before, and previously, the gym leaders had fought in these.

So if Lance was the theoretical leader, the Elites were the generals.

He smiled when he arrived at the head of the table, the only place suitable for him. His girlfriend Clair smiled generously at him, daring to cross his eyes in this moment of glorifying. "I won't waste any time with useless speeches, as I know what all of you", And probably a flock of reporters and two thirds of Indigo's population, "are waiting for. You all want to see the three new Elite Four Members, after Loreley's and Agatha's retirement." He didn't need to mention that the third space offered was left by him, as he had been 'promoted' to champion. For a second, Lance glanced around, his eyes resting on the seat were Koga was sitting, legs and arms crossed, not caring in the last. It was a facade; the gym leader knew what was facing him now.

"First, I'm pleased to announce that one of the gym leaders volunteered to take up one spot." Sabrina could feel her heart almost stop beating. "From now on, Koga Kiyo will take up the spot as the second Elite Four, coming before Bruno. His daughter Janine will take up the gym leadership." Lance closed his eyes, gulping. He didn't want to look into the eyes of the gym leaders, of a certain gym leader, now, because he knew he had already hurt her. And it would only continue to get worse.

"Secondly, we, the council of trainers, have chosen two new, aspiring, young elemental trainers out of the winners of the last years tournaments." She was going to rip his head off, he just knew it. Or rape his mind. Something around these things.

The doors were opened by a pale, ring less hand. "Let me introduce you to Karen Schwartz, twenty-six-years old, from Mahogany City, tournament winner of 1995 and dark trainer." Karen slowly heeled into the room, her Umbreon hissing quietly, cold eyes glaring at everyone that dared to question her almost transparent, shining black dress that only hugged her hips just as much so it was legal. Forest was suddenly very happy his brother was with Ash in Sinnoh.

"She will take the fourth spot. And now to the first Elite Four." A shy cough, polite, but still nice announced the arrival of the second person. A young man, one arm behind his back, the other in a pocket of his pitch black suit, leaned against the door frame, smiling nervously. Several gasps could be heard, only one of them shocked, the others amazed. "William Bender, twenty-four year old from Teak City, last year's tournament winner and psychic trainer." After only a short moment of silence, a chair was thrown back, the breaking noise startling everyone. It was Sabrina.

Lance took a deep breath, preparing for the apocalypse.

"How dare you..." She hissed, even bitterer than Karen's Umbreon before. "How dare you...a gym leader AND a psychic trainer...you wanted to shame, to disgrace me, didn't you, Lance?" Lance closed his eyes. "I know that you were sure to be promoted, Sabrina, but I'm sorry, it wouldn't have been a good choice, though you might disagree. The public wanted someone with more honour." She kept staring at him, then at the puzzled Will, who did not understand in the least what was going on. "Honour..." She spit, then walked through the room without looking back, shoving Will aside and down the stairs.

Lance glanced at Clair, who shrugged. "She'll get over it."

Will blinked. "Ehm, anyone who could tell me what was wrong with her?"

End 1. Chapter
Authoress: *bows again and disappears*

All right, a back-story on the change in the Elite Four. I'm going to assume the Ash-in-Sinnoh part was added in recently. I'm really impressed with your near-perfect translation of the story.

Oh, and of course Psychicshipping FTW.

Psychic*Absol said:

Disclaimer: Seriously, if I owned Pokemon, would I sit in front of my Notebook writing fanfictions?!?

Click to expand...

No, you'd write original fiction, because fanfictions by definition aren't written by owners. XDD

I liked the story P*A. Especially the little catfight between Sabrina and Karen. And Will sitting there at the end dumfounded was awesome. =D

But poor Sabrina. ;_;

Oh, and of course Psychicshipping WTF? :D

*bows again...and falls asleep*...P*A had six hours of sleep during the last two days. x.x

Thanks for the review, you two! (Though I suspected that you would review ^.~)

@CPF I actually re-wrote more than translated, but that doesn't matter. It has to sound good, the translation isn't as important as long as the plot remains the same. ^^


@Zammy Oo Ehm, I do own my fanfic, right? So I am an owner...sorta.
There will be more catfights. Much more...but not only between Karen&Sabrina. XD
I like to make Will...hm, naive. Cute, but naive. ^^ And certainly NOT evil.
*no comment*

2. Chapter status: First page done (so about 10%, I suppose)+ title

*hates to double-post* *wants to post new chapter anyway* ...*bows to readers* XD Sorry it took so long. The chapter was ready last weekend, but I had trouble with my beta-reader. ^.~

I WILL (haha, pun intented) finish this thing, as I usually finish all my stories...*cough* *angel face*

2. Chapter: Assaults & Assumptions

After a few moments of regaining composure, Lance started to run after her, in the hopes of preventing the meltdown that he was sure was just about to take place. He passed by his secretary, who had also volunteered to help out at the hotel. She was busy speaking into her mobile phone, already spreading the news of the new Elite Trainers. He silently snarled as he sprinted past her, for the news was as exclusive as the photos. He didn't want any third-class rural newspaper to distribute them sooner than the tabloids that had paid him. "Yeah, poison, dark and psychic! The trainers should start using bug; it's such an underrated type anyway. Bugs and flowers mix very well, don't you think? I should start using bugs, for my tulips will love them..."

Lance did not know Sabrina well enough to presume where she had went, so he just followed the trail of confusion she had left on the employees' faces. To his horror, she seemed to have aimed straight for the front doors, exactly where the bigger division of reporters was lurking. 'Great, just what I need! Another turmoil! Who knows what this scum will make out of her flight! Prevent any bad publicity, Lance, for you've gone to hell and back to make this day appear perfect!'

"Sabrina, wait, please!" He thought he had reached her in time when his hand grasped her shoulder, and he was able to pull on her coat. But instead of stopping, she grabbed the door knob and swung the door open, stumbling a bit because of Lance's hand hindering her. She freed herself from his grip, her coat slightly going out of place. Down the snow-free entrance stair, she got her balance back, spun around and flicked his hand off her shoulder with her powers. Lance remained at the highest step, looking down at her with beseeching eyes. "Please, this decision wasn't meant to hurt you." Sabrina's eyes darkened, like a cloud when it was about to storm. "But it did anyway. How could you just do this, Lance? You know how long I've longed for this moment to come, and now...you ruined it. You betrayed me. And for what? What has he that I don't have? Please tell me, as I'm dying to know." Lance inhaled deeply. Everything he could say wouldn't satisfy her, he was sure of it. After all, Sabrina was filled with so much hate now that she couldn't think clearly. She had always been so disciplined. Running away from a conference had never come to her mind before. It was a whole new situation he had to deal with. Sometimes he wished his gym leaders weren't nut cases. "He is talented and he clearly has the charm you don't have. Please realise that I have to think of the public, too. They're afraid of you, plus they don't want to see old faces, they want new, fresh characters." He glanced at the reporters outside the fence, clucking like a new-hatched herd of Torchics. They knew something was up, wanting to know what was happening, and what kept the two of them outside in the cold. "Please come in. It's too cold outside." Sabrina wasn't really willing to follow him, for she knew what the real reason behind his actions was, his fear of the media hype going the wrong direction, but finally, the freezing air brought her to her senses again. Her anger wasn't cooled down, though.

If it wasn't bad enough that the remainder of the conference was spent without any inference by Sabrina, the rivalry between her and Will had only started. It didn't help in any way that Will had no idea what to think of it, not even knowing what 'it' was all about. That is, until Lance told him the background information. The new Elite decided that he did not want to argue with her, as he had enough of quarrels after spending the first days with Karen. Thus, he tried to be as friendly as possible without actually getting involved with her if possible. It was the best way to deal with Sabrina, the other girls had told him. They, on the contrary, were already clinging to him like young teenie groupies. He had that aura of a teenager's dream boy, cute, successful and intelligent, albeit a bit naive, not to mention that he was single.


Lance slowly shifted his reading glasses up his nose, rubbing his tired eyes. For the past four days, he had been struggling through the masses of stacks of newspapers, finding and reading as many articles on his new elites as possible. As his research went on and on, he found more and more articles, leading to the conclusion that the world was indeed addicted to the yellow press.
The majority of the articles welcomed his decision, saying that both Miss Schwartz and Mister Bender were promising young trainers. Of course, some red Mareep were always there, bickering about their attitudes, their quirky characters....and the fact that Will had already managed to bring one of them gym leaders against him.
Lance closed his eyes tightly, rubbing them again. The papers were clearly divided on this, with some standing up for the young man, and some for the gym leader. And he was between all of them, confronted with critics that said he should have chosen more than one gym leader. But now, nothing could be changed anymore. Nothing?


Logically, these differing opinions could only lead to more clashes. And sure they did.
"Aw, don't look so upset, Misty. I know you're angry because you're already taken, but heh, at least nobody can rip off your head if you only talk to him!" Misty grinned half-heartedly, not all too happy that Erica brought up this topic again. Realistically seen, it was inevitable, as over the span of the last five days, almost every lone female being around the hotel had developed a crush on Will. Everyone? Well, not everyone...

Sabrina growled as silently as possible, laying her head on her crossed arms resting on the table. Erica noticed this, sitting next to her. She turned up her nose. "Heh, don't spoil the atmosphere, loony. Just because you can't stand him doesn't mean everyone does. Neither does anyone want to see your gloomy face hanging around every day." Sabrina looked up. "It's more as if I'm the only one who can't stand him..." Misty rolled her eyes. "And you've talked to him how many times?" Sabrina just stared at her with a blank, uncaring face, with the answer carved into her stony features. "Geez, have you even tried to get to know him?" The psychic gym leader shook her head, not appearing to care much, if at all. "Then how can you tell that you don't like him? You don't even know him!" "I don't want to know him, either. He's the one who stole my job. That's all I need to know about him." Erica followed Misty's example by rolling her eyes too, while the water gym leader gripped the table's edges hard and growled in frustration. "Of course, he totally nicked your job on purpose! Sabrina, if you want others to accept you and your powers, why don't you start with yourself and actually try to make friends?! It's not that hard or idiots like Ash would be lost!" Sabrina glared at her, also infuriated. Erica started to think it might have been a mistake to even mention Will near her fellow gym leader. For all she knew, Sabrina could still turn them into doll if she decided to. She hadn't done that in a while, but she hadn't put it out of her mind either, literally speaking. "Fine, fine! So you want me to talk to him? Right? Fine! I will talk to him. Oh yes, I will talk to him!" She stood up abruptly, the chair falling over with a bang and stamped over to the table where most of the girls had assembled around Will, and were chatting happily with him. Erica watched her leave and sighed. "I hope you haven't just sealed his fate, Misty. Poor Will."


Will laughed as Janine tried to remove his mask. Though her wise father Koga always kept an unmoving eye on his precious daughter, he didn't mind his fellow Elite Four joking around with her. Will was just too immature to be any real threat for the virgin Janine. His suit and his outward mature appearance didn't obscure that fact.
"Oh, no, no, stop it, Janine!" He softly pushed her arm away. "No touching it!" Janine giggled and sat down next to him again. "Why do you wear that mask anyway?" A young girl, one of the junior trainers studying there, asked, leaning on the table." "Because it looks cool?" Will suggested, face ingenuous. "Oh, come on!" It was Misty's older sister Violet, sitting down on the table and also trying to take away the chin long black mask which covered one eye completely and the area around both eyes. Will crossed his arms in front of his face. "No, guys, no!" He laughed, before turning comically serious. "It's a secret." "Ohh..." The chorus of girls echoed. Will smiled with his eyes closed, and gently tickled Janine behind the ear. "My dear girl, I see something behind there that seems to go with such a beautiful girl..." He withdrew his white gloved hand, holding up an equally beautiful red rose. He bowed slightly. "For you, my dear." Janine blushed, clapping her hands to her mouth in surprise. "Oh, William, I didn't know that you..."

"Hmpf, cheap little magic tricks, you wannabe psychic."

The group of about a dozen girls and one guy immediately turned around to see the psychic lady. She was leaning against the grey marble pillar that decorated the magnificent hall, rather than supporting the ceiling. She had her arms crossed, looking as reserved as one could get. Will wondered why she had even come over when the conversation obviously didn't please her.

"Well, yes, I am no psychic." He coughed. It was something he wasn't proud of, but nothing that could be changed. He just didn't have the talent. Fate's doing, so what? "But that doesn't mean I can't enchant people..." 'Women, rather.' Sabrina thought indignantly, seeing the dreamy look on all the girls' faces. "And still Lance chose you over a real psychic trainer...how disgusting. Showing his and his policy's complete incompetence. Why even opt for a psychic trainer when it's only an amateur?" She grinned, uneasiness slightly breaking through the surface. She was beginning to feel the anger, the tears, the jealousy, and the hate, but she couldn't just show them here, openly. It was a much better strategy to fight him with words instead of emotional performances. At least in theory.

Will closed his eyes, smiling. "I think it's not the person's abilities that count. It's not us who should do the fighting; it's the Pokemon. They need to be strong, and to be able to master the elements, not us. That's not to say that I think people like you oughtn't to learn how to wield their powers, no. Being a psychic must be cool." Sabrina snorted. What did he know...nothing. "But it's not the most important thing." He shrugged. "Years ago, people believed only psychics could control psychic Pokemon. Common logic, neh? But look how views have changed. Today, everyone can train Abra and co, everyone." He opened his eyes again, staring at her while keeping his smile. "I happen to be the better trainer and that's what influenced Lance's decision. Besides..." He rolled his eyes while leaning back and linking his hands loosely behind his head, chair wobbling dangerously. "I didn't apply for this position. I got it more or less by accident. Yeah, I did win the tournament a few years ago, but who knew that this would give my career the final push? I did not."

Sabrina's fists were shaking and she was fighting back the unwanted tears that threatened to pour from her eyes. No weakness in front of him and the other girls, no weakness. He had done nothing to achieve this position, absolutely nothing. It was just given to him as a present. And in contrast to that, how had she struggled through the years, had continued to fight to keep her gym after her escapades, put great effort into getting a new reputation, people's respect, not fear.

And in the end, she had lost.

Lost to a young whippersnapper who did not know a thing about what was going on in the league.

She, the calm, composed leader always in control, snapped.

"Shut up! Just freaking shut up!" She screamed, though she hadn't completely lost control over her voice yet, with the volume more or less wavering. The last days had been straining, she had had to keep all these unwanted feelings of hate at bay, to keep her unapproachableness. Now, all of that was forgotten for this one moment, for this one slip. Will and the girls were taken aback for a split second, as was everyone else in the hearing range- which was pretty much every living being in the dinner hall and in the hallway outside.

"You're such an amateur, such an idiot! You have no idea what this all is about, right? This league is no child's play. It's big business, the highest council of trainers we have! They have power- enormous power. You're not even ready for this power! You will never be ready if you think that all the Elite position offers you are better and more flirting opportunities."

Will raised an eyebrow, not really impressed. He had been surprised that the girl could stand her ground so well, and that she was so different from the dumb, talky country girls he was used to, the ones sitting around him at that very moment. It was a nice change and one he liked. Besides, he enjoyed challenges.

Little did he know what kind of challenge he was up for.

"Really? Is that what you think? I'm incompetent? Well, I don't want to offend you, but I don't want to weight out your judgement against Lance's, either. He obviously thought I was skilled enough, and he's the one with the authority and experience." Will grinned. "I think he indeed had his reasons for choosing me over you. Maybe it's you who's not competent enough."

Only a second passed, before Will felt a hot pain on his cheek. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see Sabrina almost crying, with her left arm still bent. She had slapped him. She had slapped him. It felt unreal.

The other girls gasped. Sabrina's behaviour wasn't unexpected, for she had often resorted to using needless violence in the most inappropriate second, demolishing her collected image. But it was the effect of the moment. The small fan group was shocked. As soon as that was subsided, they started to glare at Sabrina. "How dare you..." Janine stepped forward, a small dagger already in her hand. Koga, from his position in the shadows, not seen by anyone, sighed. His daughter was a hot-head- actually too much of a hot-head.

Will, still trying to maintain the gentleman role he had become used to, stopped Janine by putting his right arm in front of her. "Girls, keep cool." He looked up, into Sabrina's face. "Maybe we can resolve this with a little fight." "A fight?" Sabrina wondered if he felt sane anymore, for none of them would benefit from a physical fight. "A Pokemon battle, of course." Will stood up, adjusting his mask. "That's what you want to see, right? Who of us fits the role of the Elite trainer more. So why not decide it with a battle?" Sabrina was unsure, but she certainly wouldn't decline the challenge. So she nodded. "I accept." "Good. I figured that Lance always keeps at least one training room open and free, so I suppose it will be no problem finding one." He smoothly walked to the door, waiting for Sabrina as she followed him. "Ladies first." He said, bowing and opening the door for her. That simple gesture, done even though they had been disputing mere seconds before, spoke for Will's true gentlemenly nature, and managed to make Sabrina blush a bit. She noticed herself, coughed and went out of the room rather quickly, before one could become aware of it.

They walked side by side in complete silence, not even noticing how much in pace they were. Both were radiating an aura of artificial royalty, of pride and self-confidence, and yet were modest as much as needed.

On the way to the catacombs-like training room wing in the cellar, Sabrina almost bumped into a young, blond girl. It was hard to say who was the cause, for Sabrina wouldn't admit to being quite absent-minded. But the girl, though she had been running while looking down, had been trying to keep her attention on what was before her, until she came to that corner and noted that she was already a few minutes late. Nevertheless, Sabrina angrily shoved her to the side; the girl immediately dashing off again, while muttering an unheard apology. Will blinked. "Wasn't that Lance's new secretary?" Sabrina, startled by his input, turned back to look at her, but could only catch glimpse of a single fair curl vanishing behind the next corner. "I thought she looked like the hotel's receptionist." Will blinked again. "Wonder what she's doing down here?" He asked, trying to make conversation, but Sabrina was already a few steps ahead of him, not listening nor caring anymore.

Grey door after grey door came and went, until they got to one that was ajar, allowing a peek into the clinically clean room, bright neon white lights blinding them at once after being turned on. Since the training rooms were deep down in the earth, no natural sunlight reached them and the only sound came from their breaths and the technical equipment. Sabrina was slightly taken aback. She had never been here before; Lance didn't just allow anyone to use these special training rooms and the gym leaders weren't here for strengthening their Pokemon, anyway. "Impressed, eh?" Sabrina turned her head to the side, seeing Will standing in the door frame next to her as well, eyes glistening a bit. "I was too. It's just amazing that so many rooms fit into this small complex. But hehe, Lance had employed the best architects he could find, he told me." Sabrina didn't say anything; instead, she walked over to the right side of the room, where a small podium was placed. Will shrugged nonchalantly, heading in the opposite direction.

"One on one, no time limit, no switching of course. Agreed?" "Interesting, I thought it was always the turn of the one who's in charge to decide on the rules." Sabrina's look darkened. "The one in charge..." Will rolled his eyes. "The challenger, better that? Or what?" Sabrina shook her head. "You should better think about what you say or you'll make enemies really easily." Will sighed. 'That I do already, 'Brina, that I do.'

"So? Will you start already?" "Impatient, aren't we?" Will laughed, withdrawing a Pokeball from a pocket of his suit and enlarging it. "Xatu, go!" He wanted to fight with his signature Pokemon, for this wasn't a real, serious fight yet- just a battle for honour. He wasn't completely confident, surely. In theory, he was a much stronger trainer, but he had never fought a battle as an Elite yet, and she had much more routine as a gym leader. "Go, Kadabra." She simply said, not even throwing the Pokeball. It appeared out of thin air, floating a bit towards the battlefield before opening on its own. Will had never seen a display of psychic abilities that close before, so he was astounded for quite a few moments, before he got his composure back and instructed his first command. "Xatu, Future Sight!" Starting with something easy that was certain to hurt Kadabra regardless of the type. Plus, it gave him a few rounds to recollect his thoughts and form a strategy. He wanted to look like a professional; for he was supposed to be one and she would surely judge him by his 'debut'.

"Psychic." Sabrina certainly didn't have the same intentions as Will. Though the will the impress the other was strongly developed in both of them right then, the way to achieve this goal was diverse. The gym leader was showing off her Pokemon's strongest attacks, while the elite four countered with patience and strategy. Physical power against mind's intelligence. The main conflict in the world of psychics, displayed ironically in a battle between two of their most talented representatives, although in different fields.


She was running as fast as she could and yet, glancing at her silver, brand exclusive watch, she knew she would be a bit too late. She hoped the boss wouldn't scold her, but deep inside she knew it was just that- a blissful wish. The boss loathed all kinds of delays, and during this mission, timing was crucial for its success. All gym leaders and elite four were only together once a day and they had to move then, not later.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a bell rang, but she couldn't place it and forgot soon about it, still running through the hallways of the headquarters.


"Xatu, Fly!" Will grinned. Most people did not know that Xatu and their pre-evolution, Natu, could, in fact, fly. Sure, Natu seemed to be quite the helpless, young, not fully fledged bird, and Xatu's wings were as stiff as wood, not suited for soaring through the air. But those were only the prejudices of people who had never seen a well trained Natu or Xatu, or even had trained one themselves. They could learn how to fly; it was just a matter of time and persistence.

Xatu nodded before opening its majestic, green wings and taking off. To Will's astonishment, Sabrina seemed neither surprised nor impressed. He wondered if she did not know both Pokemon's reputation- which was possible, given how unknown some Johtoan Pokemon were to Kanto people. Of course, they had been discovered some time ago, and some of them had been seen in Kanto's countryside or even in their cities, but maybe some of the residents refused to acknowledge the fact that their country was 'invaded' by foreign species.

Maybe she was rejecting her own emotions again.

Or she was simply not impressed by his fruiting training methods.

"Kadabra, Psybeam! Aim into the air!" Will sighed, disheartened. Most likely, he was to go for option three. However, he had little time to think about this failure in impressing the opposite sex in rough, materialistic battle, as his chosen weapon was having trouble avoiding all the psybeams. As well trained as his Xatu was in flying, dodging didn't make staying in the air any easier. "Peck!" 'Might as well dive down...' He thought, deciding that staying up in the air did not make any sense anymore. "Teleport!" Right before Xatu could hit it; Kadabra disappeared in a white flash of light, forcing Xatu to flap its wings rapidly to stop its flight,thus preventing it from crashing into the room's floor. "Now, Psybeam from behind!" He heard Sabrina scream. 'No good, no good.' He didn't want to lose his first battle, this battle, this battle, against her. Maybe his honour wouldn't be completely demolished if he did, but who wanted to test it out? Why risk it? After all, he had to be stronger than her. It was logical...

"Psychic!" Beating Sabrina with her own weapons may possibly not be a good strategy- heck, it might not be a strategy at all, and it was very unusual for him not to work on tactics. He was used to preparations taking lots of time; his magic tricks were just as extensive as the battles. But here, something was making him nervous. Not something...a lot of things.

"You too, Kadabra," Her voice was even- no, more disciplined than before. She had a plan, he knew for sure. She had some ace up in her sleeve that he did not see, was not able to see yet. And when he would find out, it would be too late. Will grinned a bit after taking a deep breath and thinking over his opportunities again. Luckily, he had also a reserve plan if everything else backfired. Roses weren't the only things he could conjure.

He waited for a moment till he had the feeling that Xatu was close enough to assure the attack's effectiveness. "Confuse Ray!" He looked up, his face and mood triumphant over this counter idea, until he noticed that Sabrina was a bit more shocked than expected. In fact, she looked as if something had gone way wrong. Before he had time to ask-though it was questionable if he even would have asked, the violet beam of light hit Kadabra. Its eyes turned backwards, the Pokémon suddenly very unstable on his feet, juddering and shaking around. He finally dropped his spoon out of his hand, but he was not fainted, just very confused. Will was just as confused, but his confusion didn't affect his body in the least. In contrast to Sabrina, who had failed to stay on her feet and was now holding a hand up to her temple, head throbbing.

Will jumped down from his platform, careful not to come near the still belligerent Pokemon. With an elated turn, he leaped onto her platform, holding out his hand. "You're alright?" He asked, concerned; for he did not know if, and if so, how the battle and more preciously, the attack had influenced her.

Sabrina looked up to his face, blinking and unsteady, her pale skin shining slightly in the light. She shoved his hand away, trying to come to her feet again, although she was clearly trembling and had problems focusing her eyes. Will pulled his hand slowly away, silently waiting for her to come to her senses again. He hadn't really gotten to know her completely yet, but he was sure now that she wouldn't appreciate his compassion. She started to glare at him. "Never, never use that attack on my Pokemon again!" She hissed. Will backed away. "What? What's wrong? I mean, that was a legal attack, I..." She stepped up to him, dangerously close to slapping him again, but refrained from it with a deep, slow breath. "I'm telepathically connected with Kadabra..." She said after a pause. Though she had her back to Will, it was obvious he did not get what she had just said. "Telepha...what?" "Telepathy. Our minds are...well, connected in battle. Whatever affects Kadabra, affects me too." She sighed. "Like that confuse ray. I felt the same confusion. I..." She looked away. "You won. I couldn't battle anymore. So, claim your victory over me. You deserve that spot. I don't. End of story." Will tried to interrupt her, but couldn't find the right words at first. After nervously putting his hand behind his head, he started a half-heartedly apology. "Oh, okay, well, I did not know that, so...I guess it's kind of a cheap win...eh, isn't it?" He closed his eyes and grinned sheepishly. "I didn't really win...I mean, Kadabra is not even out yet..." He vaguely waved his hand in the direction he believed the Pokemon still sat. Meanwhile, Kadabra had also moved up the platform and stood behind him, glaring at him from behind his small, white eyes. Pokemon and trainer were often very much alike.

"Whatever..." Sabrina didn't care, she was bitter over this loss- this shameful loss. "We should go. Lance will have started searching for us by now. He doesn't like having his Mareep missing." Sabrina was just about to pass by him when an earthquake-like explosion and a powerful eruption shook the room. Debris and dust fell from the ceiling and both humans and Kadabra fell to their feet; only Xatu stayed upside, not shaking or even moving a bit. Less than five seconds later, everything was quiet again.

"What...was...that...?!?!" asked Will, leaving breaks in-between each word because of shock. Sabrina rubbed the dust out of her hair. "We're under attack." She said flatly.

End Chapter

You know, if Will wasn't a psychic, I'm pretty sure I'd never have become a Psychicshipper. It was the idea of telepathy between the two that got me hooked. So it comes as a shock to me to see 1) Will as no psychic & 2) Will as the better trainer! Maybe more of a shock will be who the attack came from, perhaps.

Janine, ready to attack... oh, how perfect. Your Janine very well could have grown into my Janine. So yes, great chapter, sorry for the wait on the review, I'll be looking forward to chapter #3.

I WILL (haha, pun intented) finish this thing, as I usually finish all my stories...*cough* *angel face*

Click to expand...

Ahem, I actually finished a story as well. The Canadian League was wrapped up last night. =D

While I don't approve of PsychicShipping myself, I still enjoyed all of Sabrina's reactions towards the madman. Yes, that even includes her attempts at hiding the blushing, believe it or not. That was just adorable, XD.

And I'll have to agree with CPF about Janine. I loved how she tried to get her claws into Will, hehe. And for my sake, I hope she succeeds. XD!

@CPF Well, that's how I technically see Will. The game has never depicted him as a psychic (has he any kind of personality in the game? >>;;;;), and well, I know we discussed the fact that even in the games, Sabrina's stronger than Will, but for the sake of this fanfic, I've changed that. XD See it that way, Sabrina's the stronger psychic and Will the stronger trainer. They do match. ^.~

*nudges Zammy* He knows (or should know >>;;;) who's behind the attack. I thought I gave enough hints...0=)
(Though, that depends on if you've seen the pokemon specials...)

Hm, actually, Janine's the second girl I pair Will with. XD I like her. So I like the pairing.
I don't think she'll appear that often, but heh, maybe I'll switch the pov between Sabrina&Will and the rest of the gym leaders. 0=)

@Zammy Advertising your own story here, eh? XD
I suppose that's because she slapped him and right now, they're not exactly lovey-dovey...>>;;;;
No. Just no. >>

*bows yet again* I know I'm late...the chapter was ready over a week ago, but it took some time to beta-read it. ...I should be happy that someone does that for me...
Short post, because the next chapter is divided into 3(or 4...or 5...) parts.

Chapter 3: Rescues & Reconsideration, Part 1

"Attacked? By what? By whom?" Will angrily tried to get the dust out of his face, and out of the space between his skin and mask, without actually removing his mask. "I don't know! It could be anyone! How should I know? We've just heard the explosion!" Sabrina responded, equally angry. "Calm down..." Will backed away, almost tripping over a piece of grey coloured plastic that had come off the ceiling. "We need to get out of here. Everything could collapse, although I doubt it. Lance made sure the whole headquarters are quite safe and almost indestructible. He probably expected some kind of attack sooner or later." Will nodded absent-mindedly, still a bit dazed by the shock of the explosion, following Sabrina as she went to the door. "Aren't you going to recall Xatu?" Will blanked, noticing only now that Kadabra had disappeared, apparently having teleported itself back into its Pokeball. He made a motion for Xatu's Pokeball, but stopped. "Better be prepared in case someone assaults us." He explained to Sabrina's back, as she had already lost interest in the conversation, though it had been started by her. Will sighed, wondering if it would do him any good to be with such a heartless and callous person in this perilous situation. In some way, he felt sorry for her, for he could not imagine how life without emotion was like.

"We're lucky. The door's not blocked. Otherwise I might have been forced to open the door forcefully." "Don't you start bragging about your powers..." muttered Will, trudging behind her with his hands in his jacket's pockets. The hall outside looked as damaged as the training room, but it was still passable. "Couldn't have been near us. Or it just dealt minimal damage, whatever it was. Otherwise, we would be buried in rubble." Sabrina glanced back at Will noticing that he didn't look her way, instead choosing to grimly stare at the walls. Her face didn't change, although inside, she did feel a bit sorry for him. Her showcase of her powers must have hurt him more than she had anticipated.

They walked back to the dining room the same way they had come. In complete silence. The same silence covered the whole complex, as if the explosion had taken all sounds with it. It was an eerie ambience for both of them. Both felt uncomfortable, but in an unconscious way, though both didn't feel that emotion surface- especially Sabrina.

After climbing the stairs, Sabrina froze. Will, not looking forward, almost fell down when he had to stop. "What's..." Sabrina put a finger to her mouth, silencing him. "I think something's wrong..." Will rolled his eyes. "Of course something's wrong! There was a friggin' explosion! I..." "Sssh!" Sabrina glared at him. "I feel something wrong. There's someone here who has dark intentions. Someone..." She closed her eyes, continuing to walk up the stairs. Will followed her, shrugging as he did so. Once again, silence triumphed.

Only minutes later, Sabrina froze again, although she didn't look half as shocked as before. They had finally arrived on the hall next to the dining room. Voices- low, soft, different octaves, were coming from the opulent meeting and dining room. They weren't as cheerful sounding as before- rather timid and wary. Sabrina, who had been around the other gym leaders longer than Will, recognized them immediately. They were still there, and still alive, though no information about their exact condition could be found out. They could be, for all Sabrina knew, hurt or even dying. Not as if she cared that much. If there was anything she could do to help them, then yes, she wouldn't hesitate; but only because the laws were forcing her- not her own morals.

Will pressed himself against the wall next to her, trying to stay calm. He hadn't been an elite for over a week yet and he had already been pulled into an adventure.

"We'll just have to wait till the boss's helicopter arrives, then we'll all make a little trip to the holiday resort that's called Team Rocket's headquarters. I bet you'll like it there. And your little Pokemon friends will like it even more, for they'll develop a taste for our exclusive training and selling methods." "You heartless bastards!" A high, feminine voice screamed. Sabrina couldn't recognize the person behind it, for all voices sounded the same to her when they were frightened. "That's Misty...poor girl. We should do something!" Will insisted, whispering it into her ear in a way that agitated her deeply. She scowled. "No rash actions, youngster." 'I'm older then her!' Will pursed, though not voicing his thoughts for the sake of much needed peace between them for the moment. "We need to think first. Think, if Team Rocket's able to overpower all the other gym leaders and your colleagues, there has to be a reason. They must have thought of a way to keep them from using their Pokémon. It would be very unwise to attack without spying them out first." "You're right." He looked around. "But how should we do that? We mustn't reveal our presence just yet!" Sabrina glared sardonically at him. "Really, great, would never have thought of that. Of course! So be quiet!" 'Same could be said about you...'

Both were startled when a new noise started to break away from the human voices in the room. First, it only sounded like the distant flap of the wings of a lone bird, but then, coming nearer, it was revealed to be the monotonous rattle of the helicopter's motor. Both Sabrina and Will stared at each other at the same time, both knowing that they had to act now. The question was just, how?

"You free the hostages; I'll take care of the grunts!" "Wait!" Sabrina desperately wanted to stop him, but Will had already run around the corner into the room. The gym leader was very close to slapping her forehead and cursing in desperation, because it was exactly this recklessness she had tried to prevent from happening. They did not know anything about their foes- not which kind of Pokemon or other weapons they owned, and not even how many were out there. And he decided spontaneously to storm the place!

What had happened to the good old times when the Elite Four trainers were advanced gym leaders, able to frigging lead!?!

Sighing, she spun around the corner, too, to help Will with his surprise attack, in the hopes of saving what was left of the day.

Will had never been in such a position before and he just felt he had to take the initiative. These people were not only his colleagues. They were his new friends and he had to save them, especially because he was the only one capable to do so anymore.

First, the moment of surprise seemed to be on his side. The blond haired girl from before- he recognized her immediately as Lance's secretary/the hotel's receptionist, jumped in surprise. Now that she was wearing a Team Rocket's costume, she looked more intimidating, but, he had to admit, also cute in a way. Shame to have such cute things work for such a cruel organisation...but then again, Sabrina was even crueller and...

Will shook his head, trying to forget the thought that had just formed in his head, instead glancing at his side were Xatu had just re-appeared via Teleport. "I won't let you take them!" From his point of view, he could see all the gym leaders and elite four, tied up with their hands behind their backs and in some cases, legs tied up as well. Apparently, Team Rocket was afraid of Koga's ninja skills- Janine was still only a rookie, and Bruno's sheer strength- Chuck had gained too much weight during the last years, be as dangerous as he might have been before. For a second, Will wondered what they would have done to Sabrina, when he noticed that the aforementioned was coming up behind him. He stopped quickly, in case she felt like reading his thoughts.

"What?" One of the two grunts that were with the blond haired girl exclaimed, taken off guard. "I thought we got all of them!" The other one, noticeably irritated, continued. They both turned their head into the direction of the girl, obviously the leader of the kidnapping scouts. "We must have forgotten them; the two psychics...crap..." She growled. The first grunt, taller and thinner than his partner, rolled his eyes. "Should have counted them before calling the boss." "No problem. Deal with them while I get the others into the heli!" She jumped over the buffet table in a fashion even Sabrina could only admire, even avoiding all the leftover food that dared to soil her clothes, and landed smoothly next to the huge, coloured glass windows. Behind her, a large, intimidating shadow appeared, bathing the once bright colourful glass pictures in darkness, only a small circle of light left at its sides, bathing the girl in an unnatural frame.

"Go, Zubat!"" "You too, Dodrio!" "Take care of them, Xatu!" Will was tense. There was no way, no way that Team Rocket had beaten all the gym leaders with these two Pokemon! They were weak species, and any one of the leaders around him could finish them easily! Sabrina was right: there had to be some trick behind it and he had to be very careful. "Zubat, Bite!" "Dodrio, Pursuit!" "Drats...!" Dark attacks! Of course, both Zubat and Dodrio could use them! He should have known. But was that all or was there more to it...? "Xatu, Fly, then Psychic!" Xatu took off into the air, avoiding Dodrio's attack, as the so called bird was apparently unable to fly, unlike his own. He grinned mischievously, when a high-voiced hiss startled him. Zubat had managed to bite Xatu. The small bat was the noticeable better flier as it could navigate much better with its small wings and body. No facial traces of pain were visible on Xatu's stiff face, but even without psychic powers Will could feel how much it hurt. "Psychic, now!" Zubat shrieked, trying to escape by flapping its wings faster and faster, but there was no chance to get away anymore. Xatu's eyes flashed blue, an aura of the same colour surrounding its body, and suddenly, Zubat stopped moving, with its trainer devastated. "No!" Only seconds later, Zubat crashed into the floor, unconscious. Dodrio soon followed it, as Xatu stayed up in the air, unattainable for Dodrio, which was an easy aim now that it couldn't attack and its trainer seemed to be too dumb to order a defensive attack. Will had been right; these were very weak Pokemon. Yet, he couldn't just relax right now; this had been way too easy...

"Domino! Help, please!" The fat grunt screamed, recalling his Dodrio. Will blinked and before he had time to react, the girl had already thrown something his way. In the few milliseconds that he had left to think, he recognized it as some sort of ring, made out of metal. Some of the female gym leaders screamed out to him, but it was too late...

A beam of blue light, similar to Xatu's Psychic attack, knocked the ring out of its flight path. A moment of silence followed, with everyone trying to figure out where the interruption had come from. It was the girl, Domino, who spoke first. "Crap, the psychic!" Will blinked and turned his head around. Sabrina was standing behind him, her eyes glowing, too. The metal sphere had dropped to the ground, revealing itself to be some kind of round handcuffs. His eyes widened. She had just saved him from being kidnapped, too...

"Didn't I tell you to free the others?" Will knew immediately after he had spoken that it was very wrong to start a conversation like that after she had just used her powers to save him. In some way, he felt very grateful, but on the other hand, she needed him as much as he needed her right now. To battle Team Rocket, of course.

Sabrina glared at him automatically. "And to let you go off with them? Yeah, right, as if! I never thought splitting up is a good idea!" She glanced at the three grunts, their focus on the helicopter now. "We'll have to fight them off together." Will nodded, though an uneasy feeling rose within his stomach as he thought of fighting together with the younger gym leader. They didn't get along very well, which would surely influence the battle in a negative way.

Sabrina had just let her Kadabra out of its Pokeball when yet another explosion shook the room. Will shielded his face with his hand, wondering at the same time how Lance was feeling now that his precious sign of aristocracy was treated like a demolition target, and how long and how much of the publics' donations it would take him to rebuild it.

The helicopter of Team Rocket's boss had burst through the windows, creating unbelievable chaos and destruction in the room that was just not designed for being an airstrip. Sabrina doubted it had seriously been a part of the plan to storm the place like this, with the breakthrough rather being a panic action because of the girl's alarmed phone call. After all, one of the side doors was already open when the black flying object came nearer and faintly, she could see some faces, covered by black masks and black-gloved hands grabbing at the other gym leaders' hands and shoulders. Some screamed and shifted away, while others were motionless, frightened or as calm as possible. "Let go of them!" Will yelled, jumping over a chair and trying to push Domino away from them. He knew she was a dangerous opponent; if it hadn't been for Sabrina, he would have been captured too by now. But he couldn't just stand around and let them go either.

Unfortunately, Domino was a much more skilled physical fighter, whilst Will was definitely not one at all and she easily ducked away from his punches. Maybe even more because he didn't really try, or so Sabrina at least felt. He wasn't in his element, of course, and he was not exactly a guy who would hit a girl, regardless of her morals, not counting hitting on a girl. Domino kicked him in the stomach, almost sending him flying off what was left of the floor ground, but out of commission for sure. And her comrades were faring much better than Will and her. They had already transported all kidnapped gym leaders and elite four into the helicopter, with the help of the shadowy figures inside. The psychic had a distinct feeling of who that could be, but she didn't voice it. Too dangerous, too fragile the hints.

She looked around: Xatu was helping Will to get up again, and Domino had disappeared- but she didn't care where the girl had went to. One of the two grunts was also already safe with his colleagues, with the other trying to get into the heli. She had to act fast. And so she did act fast, without much thinking. "Kadabra, Psybeam!" The beam of rainbow coloured light first hit the rope that had been dangling out of the helicopter, cutting it sharply. Then it hit the device itself, apparently not doing much damage. Still, Sabrina smiled. She hoped she had hit the right spot, even though she hadn't had any time to aim. Plus, the two remaining trainers now had their own hostage.

Sabrina slowly walked over to the trembling grunt, who still held to the rest of the thick, rough rope in his hand, smoothly cut at one end by the psychic attack. She stretched out her left arm, fingers spread, enveloped in a misty, blue haze, indicating that she was already using her powers again. Will could only admit how strong she was and how easily she accessed these mysterious force. No wonder she was rumoured to be one of the strongest...and most dangerous. Not much later, the grunt's eyes opened wide, as he was lifted into the air. At the same time, he started choking, as if some invisible hand had grabbed his throat and prevented him from breathing properly. "Now, scum, you're going to tell us where your little friends want to go to." Will's eyes widened just as well; Sabrina's voice had suddenly...changed. Changed into something malicious, wicked and unnatural. He assumed that was how she had sounded like when she had been still a split personality, with her emotions stuffed into that doll...

He was frightened.

"Ehm, 'Brina, don't you think you're a bit too harsh?" The elite trainer asked timidly. "I mean, he can barely breathe and we don't exactly want him to die...do we?" He asked just to make sure she hadn't completely gone mad. He should have listened better to Lance when he had told him about Sabrina's history, as now he wasn't sure if he was jeopardizing his own well being.

Sabrina glared at him from out of the corner of her eyes, which were also blazing in a bright light. Will tensed, his body stiffening. But then, she sighed, and the light dimmed down noticeable. "You're right." Her attention turned to the shaking guy in the grey clothes; his flat hat had fallen off his head by now, revealing sweat-soaked, uncut dark brown hair. "But we still might need him." "Agreed." Will walked up to her, though trying to keep a bit of safe distance between them. Sabrina noticed this with a sad look. She had not wanted to fright him this much, but sometimes, her powers almost overtook her sanity. They already had once...

"Any answer?" Will growled, making even the cold Sabrina smile. He wasn't intimidating at all... "The Viridian Headquarters." The grunt answered, his voice hoarse. A few teardrops were forming in his dark eyes. "Giovanni wanted to take all their Pokémon and then force the league to pay a high ransom." While Will was so taken aback by this revelation that he couldn't speak anymore, Sabrina nodded grimly. "And where's the nearest Headquarters?" She smiled at Will. <I've had Kadabra destroy the mains that lead to the tank. They won't get far.> Will nodded, swallowing at the same time. First her display of her telekinetic powers, then the shock that a former gym leader was Team Rocket's leader, and now her telepathy. He had enough for today.

And he hadn't even counted in the explosions or the abduction.

"Ehm, I think there's one in the Indigo Mountains, right here..." Sabrina nodded, closing her eyes. 'Scary thought that Giovanni's already so close. But who am I to complain? They almost overtook Saffron and I did nothing...but it got me a lot of information I can use now.' "Good." Her eyes glowed white, and the grunt, who did not even have the time to scream, glowed with the same light, before shrinking down to doll size.
Will almost fell back. Now this was twisted! Who had thought that she...okay, Lance had told him but....but to see it in real life....and... the hell. "Oh, my God..." "Don't worry, he's still alive. I can turn him back anytime I want to." She grinned at him evilly. "I won't do this to you if you don't really irritate me, don't worry. " Will took a deep breath. "Geez, not worrying sure is hard around you." "Deal with it." She took the now little grunt and put him into her pocket. "Team Rocket will most likely have taken them to the Headquarters that's around here. I doubt they can arrive there via the helicopter with all the fuel they'll have lost by now. We should contact the police." She passed him by.

"Wait!" "What?" "We...we can't just go and leave them! I mean, we have to help them!" "Why?" "Because...because...just because! We're the only two league trainers left! We have to do something." Sabrina closed her eyes, clearly annoyed at his begging. "I don't see why we should get involved anymore. We already tried our hands at defeating Team Rocket and look where that took us." She gestured around the destroyed room. "We could not beat them together. They succeeded; my little trick will only slow them down for a short time. It's better if the professionals take over now. We could only make things worse, as we seem to be unable to work together." She against started to leave. She did not care for her fellow gym leaders in any way anymore, now that she had tried and failed. "Let's face it, William, we're just not getting along very well."

"Please." She snorted. So far, no man had managed to get more on her nerves. 'There's always a first, apparently.' "I know as much as you do that we're not the best team. But...can't we at least try? Can't we try to get along? You hate me...I know. You hate me because you wanted to be an elite four...I can understand you, really. Or I try at least. Maybe I can convince Lance to give you the next spot...maybe there's some way." He was nervous, very nervous and he did not know why. "But at least I try! Please, Sabrina...I want to save the others, but I'll need help."

Sabrina turned around, facing him again. So he admitted that he needed help...nice. She could actually see this going to work out...some way.

"Okay, I'll...try."

End Part 1
Will try to get Part 2 up before Christmas, but don't get your hopes up too high...

Great chapter, lots of action and excitement. I sort of figured Lance's secretary was up to something, and yes, she was. Nice to see various emotions of Sabrina, including her crueler side. And maybe the beginning of PsychicShipping? It has to come eventually, and I love reading all of Will's reactions to everything Sabrina does. He has a fearful admiration for her. But maybe the love blossoming will have to wait until they've fought off Team Rocket? We'll see. I'll look forward to seeing the next part, of course.

(I wanted to post this yesterday...but no, database error. x.x)
Tried not to make it too obvious, but heh, had to drop a few hints, too. ^^
And yes, you're right, it's the smallest beginning. 0=)
Part 2 now, with a lot of interesting scenes...my interpretation of the story behind Will's mask and a lot of shippy moments. 0=) Yes, Zammy survived. XD

Part 2

Will literally beamed with happiness, smiling and actually trying to hug her, which, of course, only ended in catastrophe, as one of them wasn't used to human closeness. "Let me go, you pervert!" "I'm no pervert! Lance would never employ one!" "You don't know Brock yet..."

Sabrina coughed, removing his arms from her shoulders unkindly, shifting like a robot who wasn't made for soft movements. "Don't be too optimistic. This is no holiday trip; it's a real mission." "I'm ready." He grinned happily, feeling like the action heroes of his precious childhood comics. 'I so doubt that.' "We need to prepare, but we have to get going soon. Who knows how much time we've left till this Domino girl arrives at the headquarters? If we haven't caught up with them by then, count me out of this. I'm not going to risk fighting a whole building full of Rockets, regardless of my powers. I don't play with my life, even over the lives of others." Will nodded happily. "That's okay. I don't think we'll be that slow!" Sabrina sighed again, rubbing her temple a bit. A small, superfluous headache was beginning to form behind. The day had turned out to be quite stressing and now she wouldn't even get the chance to rest in her comfortable bed tonight, instead going wandering through the highest mountains of Indigo with this walking disaster of optimism.

"You know your way around here more than I do, I suppose, so you'll take care of gathering what we need. A tent, some water, some food maybe, clothes- don't dare to go to my room and rummage through mine, though!-, first aid kit- I so know we're going to need this and anything you find that can help us. But don't pack too much; I don't want to carry a Snorlax-sized bag!" Will blanked, having failed to register everything she had said, but at least he nodded to imply he had understood. He would get the scolding later, but hopefully not for sneaking into her room. Though he had to admit he certainly wanted to...

Almost an hour later, both were standing at the back door of the league headquarters, as swarms of reports had come buzzing around as soon as the rumour of an attack had been spread. Which had happened pretty fast considering the reporters came from all parts of Kanto and Johto. The explosions had done the trick just well. Even before, dozens of them had been in the city, but now, they seemed to reach the hundreds. A helpless Officer Rocky was trying to control, convince, and care for the masses, sweating heavily in the still cold spring air as her team colleagues were trying to find clues to solve the case. Will felt a bit bad for leaving unnoticed, not helping the police in any way, but it had been his idea and Sabrina didn't seem to be troubled at all. Her feelings for the public world were all so clear.

They had both re-dressed to go with the cold mountain weather, Will now wearing a long, black and red cape over an oversized brown/cream coloured pullover made out of Mareep wool. "Knitted Christmas present from your mother?" Sabrina teased him, not trying to hide her grin. Will rolled his eyes. "At least she can knit..." he mumbled. "And she cares for me" he added, even more quietly. 'Unlike someone else.'

Sabrina pulled her own coat closer to her, already freezing in the cold wind again, but at the same time careful enough not to shudder in front of him. "We should get going." She nodded to a small, snow-free trail leading through the woods. Will wondered why he had never noticed it before, but then again, he hadn't been there for too long and hadn't had much time to explore nature just yet. Maybe this was the exact chance.

"How we're going to find the others, by the way?" He asked after a while, looking around the silent forest. Sabrina grinned. "Thought you would never ask." She closed her eyes, stretching her neck, mocking him with not answering immediately. No one compelled her to do so. "Sabrina...!" He didn't exactly sound impatient and annoyed, just letting a tip of these emotions flow into his voice. His gentlemanliness didn't allow more. With her. Around the other girls, he tried to be even more kind, knowing their feelings towards him. "Well, there are two ways...I could try to detect their minds with my powers, but that would be difficult, as I'm, well, not so attached to them." Will remained indifferent, though he knew what she was hinting. 'Guess she doesn't get along with anyone. I shouldn't be surprised, should I? But I am...she is...' Will shook his head. Sabrina, not noticing, continued. "And it would require much more energy. I would get tired very soon. So, I thought of another way. We still have that grunt, don't we?" Will blinked. "Uh, yeah, we do...do we?" He wasn't that sure since he hadn't seen him all the time and it wasn't unlikely that the psychic gym leader had done away with him. Sabrina sighed. "Don't try to forget your head, boy...well, I still have him safe, don't worry." 'How many times has she assured me now not to worry? And second, does that mean I should get worried now?!' "Anyway, I figured his mind might be connected with that of his comrades. It's way easier to read his mind and, hm, how should I explain this...use the mind trail he shares with his partner." Will nodded, but a distinct feeling told him he hadn't understood any of this nonsense. Training psychic Pokemon was one thing; talking to an experienced psychic another. She wasn't exactly trying hard to use laymen's terms. "And can you tell me then how far it is to the headquarters, hm?" "By foot, about ten days, if we're taking it slow. But I advise to hurry up a bit, because with the helicopter, they have shortened a great deal of the distance, and they'll probably be there in a week." Will nodded, before blanking. "Ehm, you do know all of this just by following his mind trail?" Sabrina grinned, also nodding. "Yes, there are a lot of things I can find out. Apparently, they got a more or less soft landing a few minutes ago and have started wandering like us, too. We can catch up with them." "Are all of them okay?" Will asked, more concerned about their condition than the theoretical details of their mission and the ways to accomplish their goal. Regardless of the question if it could be described as [their/I] mission anyway. Sabrina sighed loudly. "You're only caring for your girls' fanclub again, right?" 'I shouldn't be surprised.' "Well, they are alright. A bit cold I would suppose, with them wearing their pyjamas and everything, especially Karen with her oh so daring clothes, but alright. Team Rocket will care for them, I'm sure of it. After all, they don't want their hostages to freeze to death, do they? They're worth the money..." Her voice turned dark and Will backed away from her, scared by the sudden change again. He was alone with her; if she snapped now, nothing could really protect him...

"Wah..." Losing his balance, the elite four trainer slipped on the wet grass, which was bristling with large patches of leftover snow. He finally fell to the ground, having failed to reach one branch of a short bush next to him. Worse, the branch started to rock, the white powder laying on it was released into the air, covering his body in a white haze.

When his view was finally free again, he could see a greatly amused Sabrina, still standing on the path next to him. "Very funny." He grumbled, not choosing to tell her that she had been the cause for his unwanted snow bath. "Be a bit more careful, Will. You don't want to end up frozen here." She came nearer, but seemed to refuse helping him up. He didn't need her help of course, but it would have been nice of her to show at least some respect, not to mention a hint of manners, even towards a sort of enemy.

He stood up, brushing off the snow from his coat and shoes. Sabrina glanced at him, coming nearer. "There's still some snow left on your mask." She explained almost neutrally, though something he could not place was in her voice. But when she reached out to touch it, he knocked her hand away, closing his eyes and turning away. "Don't."

Sabrina blinked. She was confused; although she had a distinct feeling she had just tried to invade his privacy a bit too deeply, in a way only he could see. She had assumed- close to the point where she had been sure about, that there was more to his mask, more than just a simple fashion gag. Of course masks were cool- mysterious attitudes and appearances always were, hence the reason Lance wore these ridiculously large, dark capes one could only find in the most eccentric kind of shops. That, or the sex shops, she mused.

Of course, unwillingly, she radiated the same aura, the same expression. Maybe it was common for psychics. For psychics, not necessarily psychic trainers, too.

She shrugged. She shouldn't think too much about him and his motives, but it was just a too good chance to miss. After all, she was going to spend the next week with him. What better time to prove to Misty and the others that she really tried to get to know people, to make friends? In the end, she could always tell them they didn't fit together, and that it couldn't work out.

"Come on and lay off the childish games. We need to continue until it darkens. Hopefully, we'll have found a good place for the night then." Will nodded, his hands again in his cape's pockets. He didn't answer her, lost in his own thoughts and memories. And so, they again went side by side in silence.

~~~~~~~​

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Grunt number two, named Harry, backed away slowly from Domino. While it was true that she was known for swearing from time to time, seeing her so infuriated was an unusual sight. "Can you get this thing to move again?" She asked the pilot, wiping away some sweat from under her hat, revealing another curl of bright, blond hair. The dark haired, tall man, wearing sunglasses and a dark blue, tight pair of overalls glanced over the helicopter before shaking his head. "Not without any kind of tools and replacement parts. It won't work with what we've got on board- not enough and not the right parts. I think we're stuck here." Harry closed his eyes and was about to clap his hands over his ears, because he knew Domino would now go on another swearing rampage, but she stayed almost silent, only muttering unheard words and shaking her fists so hard her veins could be seen pulsing. "So we're stuck in the wilderness...great, just great." Harry glanced sideways, searching for the hostages' reactions. Quite a few of them were indifferent, just a small part of the girls was as horrified as Domino. For example the water gym leader's older sisters seemed to fear for their lipsticks' life. Briefly, the ninja-rookie could be seen trying to free her father, but a quick slap on her hands by Domino forced her back. If eyes could tell stories, Janine's would now be a vengeance thriller filled with blond corpses.

"Okay, okay..." Domino put a finger to her forehead. "We can't use the helicopter, I got that. So we've got to walk. No problem." Violet, Daisy and Lily seemed to disagree, but neither Domino nor the other gym leaders cared. Even they wanted to get out of this forest as soon as possible, and if that meant walking, so be it.

"Harry, you've got the map, right?" He nodded, noticing how strained her voice sounded. Now, that didn't mean it was any less commanding. Not with Domino, close to being to right and left hand of the boss, for whatever reason though. "Then get it!" A fire started to burn in her eyes, unseen and yet blazing against the cold background. "We'll bring the hostages to the boss and cash in the promotion if it's the last thing we do!"

Harry just wondered why she continued to say 'we' when it was crystal clear that she was the only one getting promoted.

~~~~~~~​

Two days had passed, but for Will, it felt like an eternity. He had never been outside for that long; his family couldn't afford camping in the woods, at least not for more than a weekend. So far, they had managed to survive quite well, having packed enough food and water, and since they both weren't big eaters, it worked. What didn't work was their sort of non-existing relationship. Will had the feeling that even though they were together every hour of the day, they continued to live in different worlds, ignoring each other as much as possible. Of course, now and then, they did talk, but it was mostly only about directions, their 'rescue mission' and the standard things of survival trips.

He wasn't exactly innocent, either. Did he try to talk to her much? Did he try to get to know her? Not really. After these days, it had just started being usual for them not to chat and he got along with that. Plus, Sabrina didn't lay off her eerie behaviour, so much that he was practically driven away from her, so he continued to stay away, hoping that maybe, she just may start it herself.

In some way, she did. But certainly not in a way Will had wished for.

It was late, he assumed, because he hadn't thought to bring his watch with him and Sabrina didn't seem to mind having no external influence to rely on. She didn't seem to have any daily rhythm, nor a routine, which surprised him to quite some extent. How did she manage a gym and, from what he had heard, a psychic school without any kind of timetable? He already felt rather lost without time's numbers and without his notebook that told him what to do and when. Not that he really needed it here, but still, something felt different. Maybe she was acting different than usual in this rather unusual, particular situation.

He laughed inwardly. As if...

Then, her question came, out of the blue and without any introduction and without any hesitation, bluntly- so bluntly it was almost rude. Yet she managed to never sound truly impolite, as if it was impossible for her voice to be anything more than indifferent, in positive or negative direction.

"Why do you wear that mask?"

He looked up, not sure if it had just been his imagination that had asked him this question a hundredth times before as well. "What?" He blinked openly, secretly hoping she would skip this conversation. If it was even one.

His mask wasn't a topic he liked to speak about.

She looked up as well, the light from the small campfire they had put up dancing wildly in her dark, cold and lifeless eyes, acting in the absence of passion which would probably never be there. "Your mask. Why do you wear it? Surely not because of fashion...I know a fashion victim when I see one and you don't fall under the category in any way." 'Not exactly a fashion catastrophe either.' She thought. 'He knows how men of certain positions have to dress and that's one thing even Lance hasn't grasped up to this moment.'

He turned his head away, the fire now only hinting his eyes, showing more of his profile: his rustled hair and, of course, his mask. It was always there and Sabrina suddenly wondered if he wore it in his sleep, too. Had she actually watched him sleep? She couldn't remember, the past two days had been straining and so, she had avoided staying up longer that what was absolutely needed. She needed the energy.

Maybe she should just watch him sleep once. Just to confirm her assumptions. Nothing more. Nothing.

"It's a personal thing. I don't like to talk about it." He sighed. He was already revealing too much. "I don't want too many persons to know about it." Sabrina waited. "Some kind of secret, I see. How many do know about it?" Will raised an eyebrow, not caring if she saw his reaction. She was so talkative suddenly, what had happened? Had something hit her without him noticing, some aliens or was it the provisions getting worse? "My parents and siblings." To his even greater surprise, she stood up from her log of wood and walked over to his. She actually came nearer! After avoiding him all this time, she was starting to spin the whole 180°. He had to be careful, as something was up. "Why don't you want anyone to know about it?" 'Damn, this is getting quite personal!' Dimly, this thought crossed his mind, but he still spoke, slowly and carefully, weighting his words. It was as if he was under some kind of spell, may it be black or white magic. "It's...close to being a traumatic thing, I guess. I fear everyone will pity me if I reveal anything, especially the girls...the reporter might make a big, dramatic tearbreaker story out of it...that would be too much." Sabrina looked into his eyes, glancing about his face. He wanted to avoid her gaze, but couldn't. He felt that it wasn't her powers, no supernatural magic. It was merely the tension of the moment. "Do I look like I would tell anyone?" She asked softly. Will shook his head, unwillingly closing his eyes. "No, but...I still can't. I can't." "Do you trust me?" He opened his eyes again, yet again surprised by a question of hers. He had never expected a woman to be unsure of his trust, but then again, this wasn't a usual woman- it was Sabrina. "I..." How rude would it be to say 'no'? And how would she take it? He couldn't trust her yet, not even after her decision to help him and the past two days, there was still so much emotional distance between them that he couldn't ignore.

She sighed. "Then at least let this be the start, okay? I promise I won't tell anyone. Really. I'm bonded to my promises in some way...the elders would like to have a word with me if I didn't keep my promises. You don't have to worry." 'Yet again...' The gym leader tried to smile, emphasizing that it was only a try. "A duty to honour, I suppose."
He wondered briefly if this was some kind of psychic thing he would never get, but his mind had other things to worry about. She wanted a decision and he...

He raised his arm, slowly taking off his mask.

She kept his eyes gazing at him even after he had revealed all of his face. Will was sure she must have noticed, there was no way, even in his dark surroundings, that she couldn't have...

Suddenly, she raised a delicate arm as well, tracing the long, almost vertical scar with her finger tips. He gulped. "It's from a battle I fought long ago...my Natu flew away, so the Pokemon's Scratch hit me instead..." He sighed. "They tried everything but...but they couldn't do anything about my eye." He tried to smile, but it was just too painful, as his smile wasn't anything more than an attempt, too. An attempt at healing soul scars. "So I'm practically half-blind." She didn't say anything at first, studying the wound he had hoped never to show to anyone again. Finally, she sighed as well, though it was very softly and he had trouble hearing her voice afterwards. "It's too old for me to heal it anymore. I could try, but I think it won't work. The scar is just too old." He blinked. "You...you wanted to heal it?" He wondered why he felt so surprised. He had known about her healing powers, but he had never thought that she would use them for others, without being selfish, without caring about the exhausting effects. Healing others was a difficult discipline, he had heard.

"Of course. I see how you feel about it. I feel it. Of course I would try to help." She sighed helplessly. "But I can't. I'm sorry." Will gulped, his mind starting to spin slowly. The sudden change- was it even a change?- in her behaviour confused him. She was friendly- in an impersonal way of course, but still friendly. No false words of compassion, no fake smiles of comfort.

"We should sleep now." She didn't turn away, instead staring into his eyes again and taking his hands, which were closed tightly around his mask, in her own. Her hands were cold, he noticed, but not from the weather. More like some inner cold, some eternal emotional winter. A mirror of her soul. "You can wear it around me again if you want. I won't tell anyone, believe me."

He nodded, standing up and slipping into his sleeping bag. She did as well, putting some wood into the fire before laying down. He was glad she allowed him to sleep in the tent now, for she had wanted to keep such a distance between them while sleeping that he thought he would be better off sleeping outside the tent. As if he would try to do anything to her...any attempt was bound to end with a painful demise.

"Ehm, 'Brina?" He could see her being slightly annoyed by his new nickname for her. No reason for him to abandon it, though, as it sounded too cute. "Yes?" "Thanks for trying. To heal it, I mean." She stared at him, and, again to his surprise, started to smile. "No, I have to thank you." He blinked. "For what?" "For trusting me."

~~~~~~~​

A quiet murmur went through the group, consisting of various human sounds. Moaning, complaining, coughing, gasping, and sighting, all mixed into the silence of the cold air. Certainly, being a hostage was no holiday, but no one had expected it to be a winter's survival trip either. For free of course, but without any equipment and the group guide wasn't exactly the best one, either...

"Oh for the hell of it!" Domino kicked the centuries old radio harshly, forgetting her powerful legs and the fact that a radio couldn't feel. But just as layman's law had predicted, hitting things always helped- not only your mood, but also the inner mechanics. A noise came from the dusty and dark speakers, first almost inaudible, then louder, is if it was fighting against the signal hampering mountains. Everyone looked up, interested in the broadcast as well. They had been, news-wise, obscured in the darkness for days now, and sitting on each other's nerves didn't help at all, for not all of the leaders could control their mood like maybe Koga could. So it was nice to hear new voices, even if it was just the croaking of a not so talented casting show star.

"But I don't care what they say I'm in love with you They try to pull me away But they don't know the truth " Domino grinded her teeth, her nerves so strained she was close to losing it. A love song was not exactly what she needed right now, especially not one that was sung on tunes beyond human enduring. "Turn it off, NOW!" She growled, leaping for the radio. Harry had real problems keeping her from tearing apart the radio, trying to remind her that this was their only way of possible communication with the world, even though none of them knew how to redesign that thing to make it a transmitter.

Suddenly, the overly high, annoying voice changed into the indifferent, sleep inducing voice of a news speaker.

"And now, to Kanto's daily news." Everyone was quiet, the change in voice catching their attention rather than the words. "Police still haven't found any trace of the missing gym leaders. All evidence points to kidnapping right now, though the kidnapper's identity or identities are shrouded in mystery. Three days ago, an explosion startled the residents of Indigo City. When the league's building was free to enter again, no traces of the gym leaders' and elite trainers' bodies could be found, leading to the assumption that no one died. So far..."

It was Mortimer, called by his nickname Morty by most people, who first spoke up again. "All gym leaders and elite four?" Everyone turned again to the radio, but the news reporter had switched over to the item of taxes and even for the news-starving individuals they were right now, this was too boring to listen to.

"I guess so." Even Domino couldn't hide the confusion in her voice. Her counting abilities were not the best, but she absolutely knew that they had failed to capture all of the trainers. "Does that mean that William and Sabrina have disappeared, too?" Whitney asked, fear in her voice. Mostly for the cute boy, of course. Who cared about the psychic witch?

"Apparently." Again, Domino answered, forcing her leading role down their throats even in times of uncertainty."What happened to them?" "Maybe they're trying to rescue us?" Lance voiced, very quiet and slow.

Silence fell over them. Until Misty said out loud what almost everyone was thinking at the same time.

"We're doomed."

~~~~~~~​

It was their fourth night outside and Will supposed that he was going to get along with this constant camping, sleeping in fish tin sized bags that threatened to suffocate and overheat you at the same time, living off stream water and whatever could be found outside, jeopardizing your life over the existence of poisonous fruits around there (Only for him, as poison didn't affect psychics, or so he had heard). After all, it was only for a week, and it was a nice change from the sickening undeserved wealth of the league, and the laziness that carried over with it, being served with literally everything ever thought and dreamt of.

Sabrina, on the other hand...

He knew she was bothered, though he couldn't exactly voice why and because of what. He just knew about the after-effects: He had to be even more careful about what to say around her than usual if he didn't want to get some nice psychic punch in the face or other, sensitive areas.

To some extent, they got along much better than before. There was actually conversation between them- real conversation, not just talking about what was necessary. Sometimes, it even went so far that he felt he was revealing too much of his personal life to her- after all, what connected them besides their mission to save the kidnapped trainers? And after that, wouldn't they just leave, living their lives along each other as if nothing had happened, being complete strangers again? Maybe even going back to being rivals in the competition of something that may have been decided randomly by someone in power - in other words, Lance and his council- who couldn't care less about the consequences?

He sighed, whipping away some snowflakes that had decided to land on his mask. He still wore it around Sabrina. He felt more confident with his mask on, like some small shield that protected him from the outside and from this woman he just couldn't comprehend.

"We're getting closer?" He asked, hoping to take her mind off the weather. It was starting to snow heavier and she was freezing, which, literally and psychically, made her colder. "I think so...we should be at least." She answered, breathing heavily and coughing. Will hoped she wasn't getting ill, their plan, which wasn't drawn up yet, would certainly involve her powers. "You're alright?" He asked concernedly. She stopped. "Ehm, I asked..." "Sh!" Will blinked. 'One of us is rude and it's not me...' "Yes?" "Listen! Don't you hear it, too?" He closed his eyes, dismissing any thoughts about her health, instead concentrating on the noise around them. Pretty easy, because there wasn't much to listen too. The forest was as silent as death- a comparison he wasn't that fond of. "Ehm, no?" Sabrina glared at him. "Water, silly! Somewhere around here, a spring must be!" "Oh..." He blinked again. "And that means what?" The psychic gym leader rolled her eyes, yet intensifying her glare at the same time. "Never bothered to read about Indigo Mountain's special features? They have hot springs! The locals made a whole tourist sector out of it! Have been to them myself, really relaxing..." She smiled silently and he found himself studying that smile unwillingly. He wasn't certain if he was going to see it more often, but, he liked to see it. It meant he wasn't in any actual peril. "So, there's always the possibility that we've found one!" "And that's going to help us just how?" He wasn't used to her talking about everyday things like that, even more things involving relaxing or fun.

She sighed, giving up her glare. "I don't know about you but I've been running around the mountains for days without any bath. That's not exactly good for the body, you know? So if this is a hot spring, I'm surely going to take the chance." "But, but...what about the others? We've got no time to lose, we have to catch up with them!!" He screamed when he saw Sabrina already running up the snowy hill as fast as she could without risking slipping. So far, she had avoided using her powers, saving her energy for the coming battle.

"Well, my rescue timetable involves personal hygiene time; if yours does not, it's not my problem!" He threw up his arms in frustration, but had no other choice but to follow her. She still carried that little grunt who knew about the directions with her and she could easily teleport them out of the forest. Without her, he was lost; his Xatu couldn't carry them that far.

"Sabrina, please, wait!" He cried, but she didn't listen nor stop. Not that this was all too surprising for him, she wasn't of the opinion that his help was needed by her in any way. Carefully, he climbed up, grasping branches next to him while being careful not to catch any with thorns. His hands went cold upon touching the snow, but he didn't want to lose his balance and he hadn't got the natural talent to stay on his feet that Sabrina apparently had. Unforeseen, because he had assumed, and most papers had confirmed, that she was the typical city girl, getting in touch with nature only by roving through artificial parks and gardens.

Grunting, he arrived at the hill's peak. He straightened up, again forced to being careful because the grass was even slippery up there. Unfortunately, with his attention glued to the ground, he didn't notice that Sabrina had stopped and bumped against her, causing her to fall forward. Even worse, the hill dropped steeply, ending in a small spring, surrounded by grey, naturally polished stones.

Sabrina was startled by the sudden touch, losing her balance as quickly as she had decided to help her keep it by using her powers. She kept them unseen, not wanting to risk Will-still her rival, seeing her vulnerability. For the past days, she had felt like a Magikarp out of water. For years, all she had ever seen of nature were the places manipulated for tourist: sandy beaches, aquamarine-coloured clear water, and the safe mountain routes that made one feel like a mountaineer but were the everyday working street for the mountain farmers. None of this had ever truly tested her abilities; none of this had questioned her endurance. But this had.

Sure, Will had tried everything to keep her on the track, to maintain her cheerfulness; she couldn't blame the poor guy for her mood in any way. It had been her decision to follow him; she could have declined back then and still had every chance to hop out. However, something made her stay.
She widened her eyes in fright as she fell backwards, toward the water, expecting to hit it and the stones any moment, as the distance was too small to let her use her powers. But suddenly, a hand grabbed her own and her fall stopped. Will had managed to catch her, steadying himself by holding onto a small tree. Sabrina blinked in surprise, but before she had the chance to analyze the situation completely, Will pulled her towards him. Unexpected, but not exactly unwanted, the force pushed her towards him, her face suddenly buried in his awkward embrace. Will stumbled a bit, off taken as well, but stayed on his feet.

Sabrina was too surprised to think, nor could she stop the blush that escaped her pale face. Her breathing had slowed down so much it wasn't really noticeable anymore, but she felt her heart beat more furiously than ever. A sudden rush of warmth flooded through her body, and she was certain it wasn't from the water below.

'Just what is happening to me?!'

Will blinked as he tried to realize the situation. He had just tried to help her, but he had certainly not wanted to end up in this embarrassing situation. Sure, there was a bit of a fondness, but really, it didn't exceed the likely closeness between two people that had only been with each other for a few days. At least he assumed so. He couldn't place all of his emotions that moment, and he was just being sure that some weren't in the right spot or had come out of hiding at the wrong time.

Sabrina coughed, weakening her grip on his hand. He could see now that she was almost as red as a tomato, a fact that, under normal circumstances, would have made him grin, if not for the fact that he felt like blushing himself. "See, I was right, it is a hot spring!" Will closed his eyes tightly and reopened them, trying to get a clear view of the mist covered spring below. He was glad she was going back to business so fast, and to some extent, also glad that she had been right. Maybe a warm bath was what they now needed after all this trouble.

Together, they slowly went around the spring till they found a place level enough to risk getting down. It was obvious they would stay for the rest of the day there, so Will dropped the tent's package and his own backpack next to the water's edge, rummaging through it while searching for another stack of clothes. It didn't take him much time, but when he was ready, Sabrina wasn't there anymore. He blinked, before he noticed a slim figure already sitting in the water far away from him. "Hey!" He ran up to her once more, climbing onto the stones.

Sabrina turned her head sharply around when she heard Will's voice. "Don't you dare!" She hissed, building up a barrier as soon as his cry had entered her ears. "Wha...!" And he bumped right into it.

"Ouch..." Will slowly touched his nose, checking if it was broken or not. 'She sure has some power...' "What's wrong now?" He asked puzzled, walking around the barrier to see if it had any holes to slip through. Sabrina snorted, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "I thought you were a gentleman. Isn't it 'Ladies first'?" "Ehm, yeah, but I don't see why we should follow that rule now!" Sabrina stared at him shocked, not believing her ears. Will backed away, grinning feebly. "Well, I mean, the spring is big enough for two, so..." 'Oh, dear...' He absolutely knew he had gotten himself into trouble, already fearing for his life.

Sabrina gulped angrily, restraining her anger as much as possible. Even if he hadn't known about her history, about her 'quirks', shouldn't it have been obvious that she was not interested in having him nearer than absolutely necessary? Her experiences with the other sex were...well, small. Or, even better, close to non-existant. Or completely non-existant. Something around those terms.

He [seemed /I]like a nice guy, though. And she always had her powers to keep him away...No. No, no, no. No faltering. He had to be patient enough to wait for her. They had all day, so a few minutes wouldn't matter.

Will sighed. He understood that she needed her privacy, but was so much of it was really needed... He sat down on a stone next to the water, staring at his own reflection. A small piece of white cloth, embroidered behind one of the mask's eye holes kept everyone from seeing his handicapped left eye. Everyone but his family. And her.

He looked up, gazing over the water and her body. Even though he couldn't see much from there, he was still sure she looked quite beautiful. She was still young, barely out of the teenage years, and she did not know any kind of physical work if he were to believe that psychics really did everything with their minds.

The elite four trainer took out Xatu's pokeball, playing with it between his fingers. Following a sudden impulse, he let the Pokemon out, giving it an instruction. "Xatu, destroy her barrier, but don't let her notice."

Sabrina leaned back, sighing and relaxing for the first time in a long time. Her mind finally at ease, she could forget about the outside world for at least a few minutes. Forget that she was far away from civilization, on a rescue mission she hadn't attended completely on her free will, and chained to the one guy she hated most of all the gym leaders and elite four. Okay, maybe Chuck and Bruno were worse- fighters always were. And Karen also wasn't exactly the girl she wanted to be around, for the dark trainer could always be a darkling herself and thus, endangering her very life.

Well, over thinking this, all in all... he wasn't so bad. She had to admit that she was getting used to his presence and yes, even getting fond of it to a certain degree. It was better than being completely alone.

Yet, there had been something in her the moment he had held her so close that...that felt more. Wanted more. And confused her with its very existence.

She had never wanted anyone to be around her, being used to her loneliness and being okay with it. So far, she hadn't seen the need behind making friends- especially not with colleagues or worse, superiors. She had her family and the people helping her leading the gym. Maybe she did need more company.

But still...Will?!


A sudden splash startled her out of her thoughts, making her aware of her surroundings once more. And of the fact that her barrier had been nearly torn down by a much stronger psychic force.

Before she had the chance to find out who had dared to commit this crime- as if there were that many possibilities, she already saw Will standing in the water on the other side. And she screamed.

Sabrina had been right- after walking for so many days, a bath did wonders. Will felt much more refreshed and he was only standing in it. But his peace was soon interrupted by a loud shriek. Startled, he looked around, then detected the cause and started to laugh. "Oh, come on, Sabrina! Don't act as if you've never seen a man naked!" Sabrina had sunken below the water's surface, face as red as before, if not even redder. "Maybe..." She whispered, the sound even more muffled because of the water that reached her mouth. He laughed harder, swimming near her, which didn't exactly make her feel any easier. Will was having his fun, she certainly wasn't.

"Stop, stop! Don't you dare to come any nearer!" Damn that Xatu! It blocked her powers. Now she was really frightened, as she was practically defenseless. "Nah, I won't do anything to you. The chance that you'll strangle me with your bare hands, drown me or do worse things is too high." He grinned, sitting next to her. She gulped, staring straight ahead, trying very hard not to look at him at all. He raised an eyebrow, unnoticed by Sabrina. "You're really so stressed just by this?" She didn't nod, but her quietness was enough of an answer for him. "I'm not exactly authorized to ask, but I gave away one of my deepest secrets to you, so, just to make us equal...did anything happen to you that you're so scared?" Sabrina took a deep breath. "No...just...I never had a boyfriend." She shot him a quick glance to see how he reacted. Nothing as far as she could see. Good or bad sign? Should she even care? "I don't want one." 'I so hope I'm not lying to him [and /I]myself...' "Otherwise..." She forced herself to relax just a bit. "I guess I can get along with it." "Good then." He leaned back, closing his eyes. She used the chance to study his face. He was still wearing that damn mask. Judging from that, it was very possible that he also wore it during sleep. Too bad she had also told him to stay away from her as much as possible during the night; so she had never seen his sleeping face.

"Any idea how we're going to fight against this Domino girl in the end?" Will asked after a while. Sabrina, who had already started to fall asleep, blinked. Surprising that she had managed to relax so much with a man near her, but then again, he hadn't tried to advance on her. "Well, first, we have to keep them from using these metal rings again. I can only speculate, but I think that's what Team Rocket used for their surprise attack, keeping the trainers from even enlarging their Pokeballs, cutting off any chance of a real battle, because they probably knew they were going to lose if that happened. Of course, we will have to fight their Pokemon. Even without the care of a Nurse Joy, they'll have recovered by now." "I don't think fighting off a Zubat and a Dodrio is that difficult." Sabrina grinned. "Hm, right, because we had such an easy time winning against them last time, right..." Will sighed. "You should have used your powers!" He was trying to tease her, and both knew, but that didn't mean both interpreted it the same way. "First, I did use them. Or did you forget already that I saved you with a psybeam?" She glanced to her side, but Will was grinning to himself, ignoring her blissfully. "And second, I'm..." She stopped, biting her tongue. She didn't know how to form the sentence, how to give away one of her secrets. At least she had kept it a secret. "I'm not that powerful..." Will blinked. He had certainly not expected this. Of course it was common knowledge that psychics couldn't get as powerful, as say, an Alakazam, but he had never thought that even her powers had a limit- or rather, that she would admit them having a limit.

"Of course, I am one of the most powerful psychics- if not the strongest, but that also means I can't do anything against dark attacks..." She folded her arms behind her head, thinking deeply. Will similarly thought deeply about not staring at her body... He had the feeling he knew how she would take that and the consequences were not nice. Not nice at all.

"And as you saw with your own eyes, their Pokemon know at least two dark attacks- a deep disadvantage for us. I know that you managed to beat them nonetheless." She looked away. It reminded her painfully that Will had won against her in that Pokemon battle before Team Rocket's attack, reminding her again that he was the better trainer, the elite trainer. "But it's not going to be easy, surely not." Will nodded absent-mindedly. Some parts of her speech did not make any sense to him, but he wasn't going to argue with her. Not now that they had just started chatting. He needed to continue their conversation, and he wanted to. "And how will we get out of this forest once we've freed the hostages?" "If we managed to free them without trouble..." Sabrina added, still in doubt that this mission was worth her time. If she truly was endangering her life for the other gym leaders and elite four trainers, who had only ever done so much than calling her names, excluding her and generally treating her like some dangerous wicked witch, then...well, then she had truly lost her mind.

"If we get there without trouble, then I'm going to teleport us out of there. I can teleport back to the league headquarters with ease, I just need to leave some energy for the teleport. Teleporting about twenty people is harder than just teleporting oneself." He nodded. Sounded logical. That was, at last, something even he got. "So you see, I can use my powers during the coming battle, but if I'm too worn out, it won't do us any good." "Can't your Kadabra teleport us?" "After such a battle? Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it." Will grinned. "Knowing you, I wouldn't count on you either." She growled. "What, you think I battle too much?"He was one to tell! He had beaten her, so he certainly had no right to decide over the quantity of her battles! How should he know...the only view he had seen of the position of a gym leader from was the TV set. The young elite trainer started to laugh. "Heh, all what Lance told me is that you were known as loving to display your powers to innocent trainers, and, well, I saw myself what you did to that grunt..." Sabrina shook her head. Lance had spread quite some fairy tales about her. Most likely to milk to press again, lying to them so much his nose should be breaking the opposite wall. Typical of Lance. All for the money...And who cared about her psyche? No one... All she ever wanted back then was her peace, and her time to train, to magnify her powers. Trainers that had lost tended to bother her longer than needed, so why not do away with them? She hadn't killed anyone, after all...

She wondered how broken her soul would have ended up if she had really murdered anyone.

Will noticed how quiet Sabrina had become. Over her face, not drawing in any colour even after laying in the hot water for minutes, appearing as lifeless as a living body could, dark shadows had fallen, like dark thoughts covering one's your mind completely, rendering it devoid of all happiness.

He bit his tongue. He wanted to cheer her up, since he wasn't sure how her mood would influence her behaviour regarding him and the mission. But how to cheer up a woman like her? There were so many mistakes he could make, so many things Sabrina would misunderstand, and so many things that would offend her. He sighed deeply. Before meeting her, he had thought it easy to get along with woman, his life style and his popularity proving him right. But now, he had to rethink. Maybe some old reliable gentlemen trick would work.

He closed his eyes, collecting his courage and concentration.

He slowly lifted one arm out of the water and moved his hand behind her head, touching her hair. She didn't notice at first, but when she did, her eyes widened in fright. "Just what..." "Sh..." Calming her wasn't easy, but maybe her overrational mind would finally grasp that he was no threat. "I must have been quite a fool, only hanging out with the girls that crowded around me, ignoring the ones outside the circle, even though these are by far the most interesting." She blinked. At least she wasn't screaming and kicking him away, listening closely. "I never tried to get to know you, I didn't even look at you before..." His tongue felt heavier, his voice raspy and uneven. He didn't know anymore if he was lying to save his life and her mood or if he was being honest- a thought that scared and soothed him at the same time. "Otherwise, I would have come to realize much earlier that Janine's not the only beautiful girl around. It may be a different way of being beautiful, but not a lesser one at all." He smiled and pulled his hand back, handing her a black rose. Sabrina blinked. "What?" "For you." He grinned. So far this trick had always worked, but still, he had been nervous as hell, as he had never tried it before with a black rose.

Sabrina felt her mouth become dry. She didn't know what to say, and just kept staring at the black flower that he held up to her face. A few droplets of water pearled down from the blossoms. No one- especially no man had ever given her a flower- especially a rose before without any compelling reason, like birthdays or any other pointless holidays just made for commerce and shopping malls' happiness. Could it be that there was more between them, more than simple companionship? She blushed at the sheer thought, for it wasn't an image she was often confronted with.

On the other hand, he had also given Janine a rose and even without her father's keen eye always watching, there was no chance Will had felt more for her than for any other of his fangirls. Was he simply trying to include her in his herd of female followers? Cleary something she would despise. But it didn't feel like, as something felt different, unusual...

The revelation came immediately.

"How did you do that?" Sabrina suddenly asked, staring into his eyes. He was surprised, for he had expected another reaction, any reaction to his present. "The rose! I mean, there are no roses growing here, how did you..." She stared at him. "Did you...teleport it?" Will shrugged. "I don't know. It's a trick I learned as a teenager. I always keep some roses with me, not many, and when I feel it's the right time, I just...get them, I suppose." Was that teleport? If yes, he had never thought of it as one.

Sabrina shook her head. Knowing teleport and not realizing it...what a story. "Let me see..." She closed her eyes, touching his temple with two fingers. Will blinked, but before he could say anything, he felt his mind invaded. It was surely no nice feeling, but he couldn't fight against it, his whole body and mind felt paralysed.

She took a deep breath. Just as she had expected it. His affinity to psychic Pokemon had awoken his own psychic abilities- abilities that in her opinion every human being possessed, though not many of them realized it. But since he had never trained them properly, all he could do was a simple teleport of non-living things. Maybe that could be changed. After all, a second psychic might be useful for what was about to come. She started to grin. She had a new student...

Will blinked. Her smirk was weird, unusual and to some extent- a sign that there was something awful going to happen. At least he had the feeling that his bad luck was starting to kick in. He liked her smile, but not her smirk. "What?" "You're psychic, Will. And I'm going to train you..." "Uh oh..." She leaned back, playing with his rose between her fingers, tracing her lips with it. If he didn't know any better, he would have said she was actually flirting. But of course she wasn't. She was Sabrina and Sabrina didn't flirt...right?

She looked at him with a glint in her eyes. "Of course you're not going to learn much by the time we reach the hostages, but it might actually do us some good."

End Part 2

Story is as good as finished, I only need to wrap up Chapter 4 and the epilogue.

This chapter had everything I expected and more... I loved the whole explanation about Will's mask, so it was a scar and an eye injury that caused him to wear it. It makes more sense than the reason I gave, it's well-thought out.

Such a cute scene in the hot springs... very Psychicshippy.

And then he gave her a black rose... so cute. Now he is a psychic... a very interesting turn of events there. I really like the chapter.

I'm not great at reviewing, my reviews are always just a couple sentences, so I'm sorry not to give much response. Just know that I really enjoyed the chapter, it had everything I hoped between the two psychics.

While I don't support PsychicShipping as you know, you portray it very well. ^^

When you said I took your rose idea, I didn't realize you also used black ones until I read this chapter, XDD. I guess Sabrina-fan minds think alike, eh? :D

But wait...if that were the case, I'd be a PsychicShipper....

And their old married couple-esque bickering was and will continue to be lol-able. Great work. ^^

=<^.^>= <-- grinning wildy. Thanks, CPF!! *is flattered* Yeah, I had so much fun with this chapter. It was also in the original fic (you know, I rewrote seriously too many things...), but there, it wasn't as...hm...sexy, as it's here. Will was acting more dumber there. XD
I had to find a good explanation. I kept telling myself that it can't be just a fashion fetish and no villain attitude either, so I had the idea with the scar. ^^ It will become important later again. 0=)
Black rose= symbol. 0=) Will probably be used again and again. The same with him being psychic (mind you, no strong psychic at all. Just like your Will. ^.~)
No problem, CPF, really. I'm happy when you review, may it be as short as it is. I write longer reviews because I take the time when I shouldn't, when I should do other, more important things. *sweatdrops* It's really no problem. ^^
Edit: Zammy was faster....>>;;; Argh!
0=) Yes, we think alike. (And yes, I think you're a psychicshipper, you just revealed it yourself! XD)
>>;;; I fear you will see that continuing...

*bows* Update, people! Last part of Chapter 3 and the next to last chapter--> only one more to come. (plus epilogue).
Sad news, though...I'll probably have to delay the sequel. >>;;; Special case of writer's block: Missing plot syndrome. XD
Second sad news...you will not like the chapter. I know you won't. While it is really, really, shippy...well, read for yourselves. Zammy was shocked (and sad ;_;). btw, Zammy, I added a part, so don't be surprised. ^^;;; I had to do something with Giovanni...>>;;;

Part 3

"FINALLY!" Domino fell to her knees and practically kissed the floor steps of the Team Rocket Mountain Headquarters. Her eyes were glistening with joy and she prayed to some god- fitting, as Giovanni's bureau was just a floor above that they had managed to get out of this damned forest alive. Harry couldn't help but feel relieved as well, mainly because the past week had almost killed him in some gruel fashion, as was the case with some of the gym leaders. Daisy, Violet and Lily danced, rugged clothes swinging, watched by their irritated sister and Janine, who was in a similar mood and just keeping quiet because of the discipline her father had beaten into her. Misty wasn't as reserved as her, snarling and trying to break out of her restraints, if only to strangulate her sisters. Whitney, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, had just bumped into a tree and had managed to cover herself in snow. Harry swallowed the laugh that was trying to escape his throat, to glance at the leader of the league, Lance Gray. His face was a stony as possible, his emotions unreadable. What did the big, important chief of a whole empire feel now that he was completely at their mercy, ready to be handed over to the cruellest boss Team Rocket had ever had? Giovanni may appear socially tolerable- maybe even human to some. Yes, he had to keep the hostages alive in order to get money from the league, but that didn't mean he had to retreat from the threat and treat them nicely. Here and there, some knife's edge might flash.

"Come on, come on, hurry!" Domino stood up as fast as lightening, turning to Harry, the pilot and the hostages, shoving them forward as rudely as possible. Many protested, verbally, or, in case of Janine, with a nice trip up. The group erupted into giggles; even Koga had to form a small, barely noticeable grin.

Domino grumbled. She had landed straight-faced into the snow slush, spitting out small stones, water and mud. But the happiness of the hostages only lasted for a short amount of time. Domino jumped up, landing gracefully on her feet. She snorted. "You may have used my tiredness after spending a week of hell in these woods, but I'm still superior to you. In all categories, in all." She growled, throwing one of her tulips in between them. The stem of the tulip hit the edge of Clair's cape, cutting it smoothly. The group stared at this in surprise and shock. They all knew now: Team Rocket wasn't kidding.



Some bright, shining light, replaced occasionally by grey shadows, appeared in his vision, though his closed eyes could not make out any detailed outlines. He was very comfortable staying asleep, so he did not try to open his eyes, rather falling back into the pleasant dreams that were, sadly, already fading away. He couldn't remember what he had been dreaming about; only that it had been no nightmare for sure. He was far too calm for that.

But then, he could feel something tickling his nose. It was annoying and he couldn't remove it by twitching. Frustrated, he tried to grab it, only to feel something soft and silky. He was surprised, he had expected some feather, or thread, of his bed to be touching him. But what was this now?

Will started to blink, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes. Something dark, very dark, appeared before his eyes, framing a pale...face? He lifted his head to get a better view and to help his memory along. And suddenly, he recognized the girl lying next to him.

For a split second, he thought about crawling away to prevent Sabrina from noticing him being so close, but it was to no avail. She woke up in the same moment, rubbing her eyes, then staring at him for what felt to him as a long time. Then, she gasped, grabbed the dark green wool blanket she had thrown over her sleeping bag, and backed away. She couldn't hide her blush, though. She was too tired to even try. "Um..." He looked away, placing the side flaps of his sleeping bag over the lower part of his body. He was sure she felt uneasy and he didn't want to trouble her any more. The consequences wouldn't be too nice. "We must have moved closer while sleeping..." he mumbled, not really believing it. What had actually happened to them?

Had their minds wanted to get closer than their bodies and consciousness had allowed it?

Sabrina was anxious, nervous and unsure. She started to doubt her own thoughts. Something had changed.

"We have to get going. I can feel that they're very close to the headquarters." No need to elaborate who 'they' were. He nodded, waiting for her to get dressed before he would get up. For a while that had been an actual problem, as Sabrina had refused to undress in front of him, and so he always had to wait in front of the tent, freezing his poor toes off. Of course, she was even so cruel to command him to go a few feet away, so he wouldn't even see her shadow's outline on the tent's cloth. Thankfully, she trusted him enough now that he was allowed to stay inside, keeping him from being exposed to the extreme way of morning coffee, and keeping her from a good old unexpected snowball in the face.

Hours later, Will sighed, sitting down on a cold, snow-free stone and trying to regenerate as much as possible. For the past two days, Sabrina had trained him. And if anyone ever said psychics were lazy for not doing anything with their bodies' strength...well, said person was no psychic, and dumb. It was the most physically straining thing he had ever done and the fact that they had been wandering nonstop to reach the hostages didn't help at all. He was tired. He wasn't even sure anymore if he would be fit enough to fight against Team Rocket, but at least he wasn't the one doing to the psychic work, as he would only command the Pokemon. They had decided that each of them would cover his or her special field. Viewed from that point, they were indeed a good team.

"Come on, Will..." She sighed deeply, because she knew how exhausted he felt. Her own training wasn't any less intensive, but she was more used to going to the limits, and testing the restrictions of her powers. The only way to break them, to go beyond anything that had been thought impossible. "We're already behind them by a great deal..." She looked troubled. And hell she was. "I can't feel them anymore, which means they must be in the headquarters already, and Team Rocket must have protected the headquarters with some kind of dark power." And not only because of that.

Will groaned, leaning back. He could fall asleep here easily, for he wasn't bothering with comfortable beds anymore. Just getting some sleep, some rest, some time to close his eyes and drift into dreams... "Will!" And there she was again. Standing exactly in front of his face, learned forwards while letting her hands rest on her knees, looking quite concerned with him. Not exactly the girl of his dreams, but getting closer. Getting closer every day. It was incredible. "I can't. Just a five minute break, please?" Sabrina sighed, running her hand through her hair. "We have no time. We have to act now or we'll never get the others out! We can't teleport in, so we have to walk! It's not more than twenty minutes away, I'm sure." She could see that he had listened, but he was not attentive anymore. Will's eyes were already closing again. She smiled to herself. He did look cute while sleeping; she had watched him last night. And he didn't wear his mask.

"Okay, let's see if this works..." She took a deep breath and kneeled next to him, moving her hands next to his temples. He was surprised, but thankfully, his sleepiness prevented him from moving too roughly, breaking the small connection she had to build. As soon as the link was stable enough, the gym leader let some of her energy flow into his body, both her hands pulsating with a soft, glistening white. She felt the energy leaving her, but that was one of her smaller problems. She would get better soon again.

Will blinked with surprise. All the sleepiness, the cramped muscles, the dullness had disappeared in a matter of seconds. He stared at Sabrina, her dark eyes even more lifeless than usual. He had become used to that, become used to waking up next to a half corpse, to a 'soul corpse'. But he wasn't sure if he should use these terms anymore. It felt rude, not to mention unfitting. She was more than a dead soul, there was so much more to her, and yes, she was alive.

"We should go now." She emphasized 'now' enough for him to get the unspoken order. No chance that Sabrina would ever suborder to a man.


'Confident' was an understatement regarding Domino's feelings. Her eyes closed, walking through the white, illuminated and sterile hallways of the headquarters, as if she didn't need any outside stimulation- only her mind's instincts. Even Harry knew that she was glad about the outcome of this mission. He had known that kidnapping the gym leaders and elite four- the people the league cared most for, people that were needed most, as technically, they were the heart and soul of it, had been in Giovanni's mind for years, if not for the whole period of his regency. But until now, the right moment had just not dared to arrive, protecting the gym leaders from the troubles of being captured, from chafe wounds on the ankles from the handcuffs to frozen feet, colds, from bruises caused by being shoved around by Domino. She had truly used this moment for all the sadistic games that had formed in her mind over the years, finally having found someone that was below her, and not part of the team. Of course, she didn't go as far as actually hurting the prisoners seriously, but she used all the authority she had been given.

A monotone tapping of shoes filled the hallway as the gym leaders were led to their cells, Domino still striding in front of them. Then, as if she was the female reincarnation of God, she pointed smugly to a cell while randomly deciding at the same time who would call this tiny space, filled with coldness and plainness, his or her home for the next few hours, days, weeks... no one knew how long this would take. The league officers surely wouldn't pay any money on the first try, but would they really risk the lives of the most powerful trainers they had? No one knew, no one knew...

And no one knew either where the sudden detonation that shook the whole headquarters came from...


Will grinned, crouched next to Sabrina behind some trees. "That Haunter of yours is surely a handy Pokemon, knowing explosion." He chuckled. And what an explosion! Sabrina didn't look at him, neither did she share his happiness. "You wouldn't say that if you had to live 24/7 with him, but let's cut the small talk. We've broken their defences for the moment, but they'll want to know what happened and then, we'll be in trouble if they find us outside. Let's go in and make this quick." She looked to the side, then dashed off, still keeping her body close to the ground, yet gracefully avoiding the wet, snowy grass. Will followed her after observing the surroundings for a second. So far, no one had noticed them. But that would soon change.


Domino growled. The alarm had went off, and so, a monotone shriek was echoing in her ears, preventing her from being able to think straight, and annoying her to an uncountable degree. But the explosion itself couldn't have been so destructible, as nothing seemed to be damaged. No dust, no clefts in the walls, and no broken windows- just a small earthquake- like eruption, and then, silence. Until the alarm had went off, of course. 'Can't be the league, they would reduce everything they can see to rubble...' She looked around. If not the league, then who?


Will had serious problems following Sabrina. She was always in front of him, running through the endless hallways as if she had an inner map of the house. He couldn't say that for himself, for he was already afraid he wouldn't find the exit in time if it was suddenly necessary. He had to rely completely on Sabrina.

"Do you know where we have to go?" He screamed, trying to reach her with a sudden sprint. The ever screeching noise of some bells was weakening the volume of his voice. 'For your- our sake, I hope you do!' The light also gave him some trouble- being away from artificial light for a week, his eyes-what had he been saying? Eye!- hadn't been able to adapt to the neon lights yet. One more corner and it was likely that he would crash straight into the wall.

She flashed him a grin, but he didn't see much of it from his position. Even if he had, he wouldn't have understood her anyway. The dark barrier Team Rocket had built was still active, so apparently someone had expected them to arrive sooner or later. They were in the worse position- way worse- but they had given up caring, or even thinking about that. It had been a kamikaze mission from the beginning, so why not end it in the same manner? Reporters and papers alike had started to regret that nowadays, being an elite four was a bureau's job, with no action at all. After this, he could- and would- laugh right into their faces.

"I sure do! I've filtered out everything we could use out of the grunt's mind. I know where they'll probably hold the prisoners." She looked straight ahead, pulling something out of a pocket. "Get out your Pokemon! Because they should be right..." Both went around the next corner and Will had to stop quickly to keep from crashing into the blonde girl, Domino. "Here!"


Harry gulped. He wanted to exclaim something, something his mind hadn't even grasped yet, but his mouth was too dry to talk. He could only stare at the two psychic trainers in front of them, who had dared to break into one of the better headquarters, although it wasn't as heavily defended as some of the others because of its location in the mountains. Either they were very stupid or they had a very good plan.

Domino couldn't react at first, because of all the things she had been expecting, this possibility had fallen out. She had not forgotten about the two missing trainers, but only because she was sure Giovanni would put her on another mission to recapture them. Not that they were about to storm the place!

Again, by the way.

The next moment, something big, green, and feathery, had already flown and passed her by. "Ah!" She shrieked, hiding her face to keep it away from the sharp claws that followed the feather assault. Everything was just a blur of flashing lights, green feathers, silver claws, and this damn annoying alarm noise that threatened to tear her nerves apart. She ripped her cell phone from her belt, screaming into it to cover the ringing. "Agent 009 to everyone in Headquarter 00, come to ground floor, hallway 9, now! And bring dark pokemon!" As soon as she had stopped talking, something kicked against her right elbow, startling her so that she opened her hand, sending the cell phone flying away while still being on, leaving the voices on the other end mixed and disorientated. "What?" Domino hadn't even the time to pull out one of her tulips when a surprisingly small fist hit her in the face. "Whoa, I didn't know that you could fight!" Will was laughing while running to his Xatu who was flying in front of the second grunt, pecking at him. He apparently was the only one not completely traumatized by Sabrina's behaviour, but of course, he had the routine of working with her. The gym leaders and elite four couldn't believe their eyes. The situation was so unreal- the two psychic trainers arriving there, having survived in the wilderness as well, then them working together in a way calmer fashion than last time, and then Sabrina punching another girl. The world had just turned 180°. And that was not the only life-changing surprise that was about to come.

Will almost had no time to react, and had in fact wished that Sabrina had told him a bit earlier what was about to come. Of course, they had no real plan- it ended after raiding the place and finding the others, but he had the feeling she had thought more ahead than he, and hadn't told him everything. So after observing the situation for a split second, he had decided that the most useful thing he could do was to try to get the keys to the hostages' handcuffs. Getting the Pokeballs from the pilot- he had no idea why that guy was carrying them- seemed like a minor problem, but it was the necessary next step. With the others helping them in a Pokemon fight, the whole battle would be easier. Until then, his Xatu took care of the only danger- the grunt with the Dodrio who had escaped. Maybe it was not very gentleman-like to have the bird scratch and peck at him, but that way he couldn't let the Dodrio free. Sometimes, manners were required to be put aside.

Erika just stood there. Being saved felt...unnatural, especially because it was these two. She could see how many of the girls were staring and cheering for Will, but once their eyes reached Sabrina, they were as quiet as graves. Somehow, these two just did not mix, and seeing them working together was really something new.


So far, everything had went well. Domino and Sabrina were still fighting, but apparently Sabrina had only reacted first because she had wanted Domino's attention, keeping it away from Will and Xatu, and slowly luring the agent away from the group to give him free space to act. Clever girl; he admired her a bit. Fighting with the pilot, on the other hand, wasn't unproblematic. He should have taken more than one Pokemon with him, more than just Xatu. That had been a grave mistake- one that might even cost them their still vague victory. Sabrina had at least two Pokemon with her, but with her Haunter occupied and Kadabra not being much of a help surrounded by all these dark energies...

Will shook these thoughts out of his head, avoiding the fist of the pilot and instead hitting him straight in the face, his right hand crashing into his sunglasses. The elite trainer winced, feeling the tiny splinters gnawing themselves into the skin, penetrating his white gloves easily. Small lines of red blood were visibly through the white cloth, but he couldn't care less.

The pilot had fallen down onto the polished, metallic floor, screaming in anger and pain, covering his face with both of his hands. "You bastard!" he screamed, kicking futilely around. Will kneeled down, avoiding the legs of the man, to get the keys and the Pokeballs out of his pockets, when he suddenly could see the pilot's face through the slits between his fingers. His face was full of blood, being cut by sharp black glass everywhere. And his eyes...Will paled, not able to think straight anymore, not able to move anymore. These eyes...

That moment, everything changed.

Other trainers arrived- the trainers that had been called by Domino. No more than two or three minutes after the call, they were there, and they had dark Pokemon. The tables had turned.

But Sabrina wouldn't give up that easily. She hadn't went through all these troubles, spent all this time away from society with a guy she couldn't technically stand, just to give up, and being captured now as well. She would fight.

Domino had stood up, brushed dust out of her face and tousled hair, and ran her tongue over her bleeding lip that had been cut by Sabrina's fingernails. She had been beaten down by the scrawny shadow of a human being. Her. Domino. Beaten. She was angry. And in deep need of vengeance. And she would get it.

"ATTACK!" She screamed, drowning out the alarm's noise with her hoarse voice, but sounding more powerful than ever. She was one of Team Rocket's elite agents; she could easily defeat these two, even if it was the last thing she would do on earth!

Furiously, she ripped one of the Pokeballs from one of the men's belt, giving the grunt not even the time to call out his Pokemon himself. It was a Mightyena. "Crunch!" She screamed. And pointed to Sabrina.

Sabrina's head was spinning as well. She had made a mistake- a severe mistake. She was just not made for physical fighting; her body was too weak for that. Her breaths were uneven and shallow; she had to cough several times. She was a psychic- not a muscle-bound fighter. And this girl was trained by the cruellest organization in Kanto; Domino had no scruples to give in everything she had. It was a miracle the gym leader had managed to occupy her for so long, but now she would pay the prize. She wasn't attentive for a moment, trying to catch her breath and daring to turn her back to Domino. The next thing she knew was screaming all around her when the dark Pokemon started to attack the trainers, trying to keep them from escaping. Fortunately, Will had managed to free Koga and Bruno, who were the best choices in this situation out of all the trainers here, which was something she had to admit. The two defended the other trainers while they fumbled with the handcuffs and searched in the pile of Pokeballs that had come out of the pilot's pockets.

But she was unguarded and the Mightyena used its chance to drive its fangs into her shoulder, sending her falling down.


Will couldn't move again on his own, as it took a not so nice push from Janine to make him realize that he was still on earth, still in Team Rocket's headquarters, and still the only hope for all of these girls and boys, his new friends. He shook his head, the pictures of the bloody eyes of the pilot slowly fading away, too slowly for his taste. He simply closed his eyes in the end, grabbing blindly down, hoping not to touch any wrong areas."Got them!" He exclaimed after finding the keys. He looked around; the trainers most closely to him were Bruno and Koga, and both had their hands and legs tied up, making walking harder for them. That was the moment where Domino spontaneously decided to go mad, attacking them with Pokemon! An illegal move, most probably punishable with many years of prison, but this was Team Rocket's territory where everything that did not question the boss' authority was allowed. He coughed loudly. It was hard to find the keyhole and put the key in, he was so nervous he was trembling. "Yes!" He was almost too relieved when he finally managed it, not making a complete fool out of himself in the end. He could never forgive himself if his precious girls could not be saved because he was not fast enough with opening a chain!

A lone, not quite high but still female, hollow scream shocked him. He recognized the voice a moment later, and jumped back onto his feet after kneeling, shoving the girls aside to run in front of them to the battle line that was filled by Koga, Bruno and a bunch of Team Rocket's members and their Pokemon. He could not see her at first, because she was already lying on the floor, covered by a heavy, grey/black wolf Pokemon. "Sabrina!" His distress was bigger than ever, as if she got hurt now, they would never get out of this. But it was not the only reason that made him feel as if someone had thrown ice cubes at him.


It was not the physical pain. There was physical pain, but she assumed she could stand it. She had survived worse injuries. But none of them were dark; none of them were from dark Pokemon.

She could feel the darkness crawling out of the Pokemon's teeth into her, and into her flesh, into her very soul. It was as if someone was throwing darts at you and hitting every time. Like needles shoot into your skin, not stopping when they had already vanished in you, driving farther and farther until they were starting to be part of you- a part that couldn't be cut out anymore, not even by the best surgeons. The dark energy hurt her, not the teeth. Not the physical, but the psychical. The stronger the psychic, the worse the effects of dark attacks. That was the theory. Now, this was the real life and she feared she wouldn't live to tell the tale. The Pokemon- one of the newer ones, but a dark Pokemon nonetheless, ripped its teeth from her, flesh and blood decorating the walls with small, red droplets that seemed to finally colour the sterile steel. She had to smile, in this short moment of tranquillity beyond life the Mightyena let her have. Funny that she smiled now, in this situation not fit for any amusement, when even during the best comedic actions, she remained close to emotionless.

"Graw!" Barking, the Pokemon played with its tongue for a moment, licking blood. Then it dashed forward again, its mouth opened wide.

She knew even if the physical wounds were not lethal, the psychical ones would be. It had been a mistake, and now she would lose her life for a bunch of idiots most likely not even caring about her death...

"Sabrina!"

And there he was again, the man she had spent the last week with. She closed her eyes, over thinking it again. She should have been more truthful to him, more trusting. Not that she hadn't been, but now she came to realize that there had been more to it- way more. Now she would only not get to tell him about it anymore.

Suddenly, something cautiously touched the back of her head, helping her lift it. She started to open her eyes. "Sabrina, are you alright?" She smiled. A drowsy, drunken smile mostly, weak too, but a smile nonetheless. 'My God, am I actually happy to see him?!?' "Sorta..." She whispered. Will looked so concerned, so troubled, so worried for her that it was amusing. 'A guy caring for me...impossible.' Sabrina came to the conclusion that her mind didn't really work anymore and she was only imagining this. Imagining wishes never dared to be thought of, but she decided to play along with this. If these were her last moments, she might as well enjoy them, for the first and only time in her life she was being truly happy.

Will gulped. He could see the blood running down her shoulder, a few droplets glued to her cheek, seemingly even redder on her pale, white face. He didn't know how bad the wound was, as he was no doctor for heaven's sake, but she did not look well at all. Her eyes were getting lifeless again, and her smile seemed out of this world.

"What happened?" he asked. He knew something was wrong, but not what. "Dark attacks...they don't hurt the body, but the mind. They can kill as well." Sabrina answered him, her voice quiet, but the smile stayed. Will's eyes widened. His heart almost skipped a beat. He did not want her to die, no, no. They had come so far, they were almost out of this whole mess, so she couldn't just die right now!

Sabrina coughed and tried to get on her feet, which was obviously a hard task considering how much she staggered. She couldn't really control her movements, plus her head was aching too much for her to think straight. In the end, Will had to help her, putting his arm around her waist to help her keep her balance. She winced when he touched her wounded shoulder and he moved his arm away a bit, but she didn't say anything. "I'm alright, now, I think", she whispered. She had to think straight again, getting any faraway thoughts and the damn pain out of her mind. There were more serious things now she would have to worry about. "Outside of the...building...I can teleport there." She hoped she would have gotten her consciousness settled back enough by then to teleport away.

Will nodded, still supporting her as much as he could without hurting her body or ego. "We have to get out of here, NOW!" He screamed through the hall to the others, who were still fighting and seemed to be enjoying the fights as well. Will felt disgusted. Enjoying a fight that could have cost a life...


Karen blinked. What was her colleague thinking he was doing there? Walking into the middle of a dark fight?!? He was a frigging psychic!!! She snorted. 'These freaks...still thinking they're so better than us and risking their lives needlessly...' She blinked. He had kneeled down next to Sabrina. Karen had not noticed that the other psychic had fallen. And now he was doing what? Supporting her? 'Oh, God, can't he see that he's wasting his energy? Not likely that she'll live through the night if she really was attacked by crunch. Even if she seems strong enough now...the darkness will slowly consume her...'

"We have to get out of here, NOW!" Now Will had apparently taken the lead, collaborating with Lance, who was the main force behind fighting off the dark Pokemon. Of course, their mighty, heroic champion. He always had to be the star, the centre of attention, and newspaper articles- the nice ones at least, not caring for anyone else. When in reality, it had been the work of the two psychics...

Karen licked her finger. Well, why not?

With Will leading again, the majority of the group dashed off, with only the two fighting trainers and Lance staying a bit longer to finish off the rest of the dark Pokemon. After that was done, they also followed.

"You know your way around here?" Whitney screamed. Though she had not been able to reach Will, it was obvious the question had been directed at him. Will didn't answer at first, instead glancing at the girl that was running uneasily, keeping a not so straight line next to him. "I hope," he answered back, causing Sabrina to smile weakly again.


Domino was cursing. It was the worst cursing Harry had heard in a while, and that was saying a lot after their week in the woods. His face was full of scratches and little wounds, but he wasn't caring. He wanted to get out there, to get home, to get a break as soon as possible. It was enough. Really. His nerves were as good as destroyed. And Domino's were as well, apparently.

"OH $%§X&"&"@ß=!!!" Harry blinked. He did not know these swear words... 'Must be foreign language...' he assumed. Domino walked over where her cell phone laid and picked it up, dialling in a number with trembling, blood strained fingers. "Boss? They've escaped. We need to lock all exits. ..what?" She blinked. "Yes, it was the two psychics, how..." She winced. Giovanni was not nice to members who had failed. He did not need to be physically present to get the message around. "Yes, sir. Okay." She turned the cell phone off, sighing loudly. "And?" Harry almost didn't dare to ask. Considering the line of aristocracy, he was next to be scolded. Domino growled. "He says he'll take care of this himself."


They had been running for minutes, some of them already overtaken by the feeling that this fleeing, this anxious feeling of not knowing whether you've been followed or not, whether your enemy is still in the dark, smirking, and laughing at your foolish image of safety, or not, would never end. Will at least swallowed these thoughts as soon as they reached him, instead trying to collect the directions out of his memory. He had been fairly sure they were on the right way, as at least Sabrina hadn't interrupted him yet and she was directly behind him. He gulped again. Maybe she was not in the condition to speak anymore, so how should he know? He glanced over his shoulder. She was running as well, pale with almost her whole coat blood strained, but it didn't look so bad. If she was still able to follow him, her wound couldn't bother her so much.

"How much farther?" Bruno asked with his deep, gruff voice. He was far behind him, but Will could still hear the fighting trainer, for his voice echoed along the walls like a dark bass. "Not much, I think." Will turned his head around when he could suddenly see, in the corner of his eye, something moving in front of him. He blinked. There was nothing. But there had been, right? He wasn't so sure anymore, but he had thought he had seen some kind of shadowy, mysterious thing, like black cloth blowing in the wind, but there was absolutely nothing anymore- just the bare, dazzling wall. He blinked, when at the same time, Sabrina gasped in surprise behind him.

But it was too late.

Giovanni stepped from out the shadows.

With his hands in his pockets, he smiled an empty, cold smile, devoid of any, any emotion. It was a dead smile, more dead than even Sabrina's. In fact, their smiles were very different now that Will thought about it. There was a difference between just emotionless. and completely cold.

"You want to escape?" Giovanni asked, his voice just as icy as his facial mask. Behind Will, many of the gym leaders stared in shock at him. Not many of them had actually known that Giovanni was the boss of Team Rocket, as many just knew him as one of their former colleagues, who dropped out because of personal problems.

Personal problems meant that Lance had finally found out about his 'part-time job'.

The aforementioned champion stepped next to Will, taking the leading role again. Will was not surprised by this, nor did it bother him. It was Lance's character, and almost his 'destiny' to be a leader. A destiny he had carved in stone for himself.

"Let us go, Giovanni. You have no chance against us. It's twenty-one trainers against one. You can only lose this Pokemon battle."

Giovanni smirked. Images suddenly exploded in Will's mind, he saw some kind of remote control, some kind of bomb- he knew what was going to happen!

"Who said it's going to be a Pokemon battle?" GET AWAY, HE'S GOING TO BLAST THE PLACE!"

Will's and Giovanni's words came out simultaneously. The gym leaders and elite four behind them jumped to the side and ground in a colourful pile of human bodies as soon as the voice reached their ears, Lance jumping to the side as well, while Will was occupied with wondering why he knew that, and also why everyone trusted him. The realization came a second too late, as he could make out of the corner of his functioning eye Giovanni holding up a grey box and touching a stereotypical red button.

Then a loud noise that threatened to blow away his ears, greyness, rubble, and then, silence.

'That's way too many explosions in a month for my taste...' Will had no real time to think, because several pictures bombarded his mind at the same time. For once, he could not see anything. He was completely blind. 'Damn, the dust must have hurt my other eye...' He swore, not sure if he was safe. He could feel that there were tiny stones and pieces of metal underneath his hand, but nothing more. And, suddenly, he realized that, again, someone was in trouble. He had no idea where these feelings came from, but they were there, appearing out of the blue. This was how it was to be pre-cognitive, apparently. 'Sabrina, this is really your bad luck day, isn't it?' He did not know how he knew it, because she didn't scream or move or communicate with him in an earthy way at all, but he was sure the explosion had destroyed the wall opposite them, leaving a gaping hole that opened to the true mountains, a wall of boulders beneath. And she was daring to fall down.

He jumped onto his feet and almost immediately fell down again, grabbing blindly. Again, he did now know how he had found her in a matter of milliseconds when he could not even see, and his other senses weren't nearly good enough for this action, but so much had changed during the last week, the last hours, the last minutes and seconds that he would not question his sanity over small events like this.

When he could finally open his eye again without daring to experience the pain of dust in it, he saw her dangling over the abyss, her left hand in his right one. She was staring at him with a sad smile. Somewhere, a small voice in the back of his mind screamed at him that he had just discovered his own psychic powers by himself, without even needing her active help. But the situation was too perilous for him to spend any attention on it, so he shoved the voice away. He had to keep on holding her, even though his own body was aching and weak, as a result of the running.

A cautious glance back told him that the floor was completely destroyed, with deep rifts everywhere, showing nothing but dark stones. 'Team Rocket must have money if they destroy their own headquarters like that...' Thankfully, a pile of rubble separated them from Giovanni, so he was no threat for now.

"Will!" It was Lance. He stared at him. And the rest of the group did so as well. "Will, you have to come over here! we don't know if the ceiling will support the weight any longer! Come on!" he grunted. They were talking easy, they were safe. "And how?" He glanced again at Sabrina. He wasn't strong enough to lift her, but he couldn't just let her go, he couldn't...

"Will, let that damn witch go!" It was Whitney who screamed at him. For a second, almost everyone stared at her, simply shocked and stunned, but no one dared to disagree with her. They all had their experiences with the psychic witch, and if they did not hate her, they did at least not care so much about her life.

Karen grinned. The girl was going to die one way or another, why sacrifice the cute, naive boy with her?

"I can't!" He tried. Everything, but that. He didn't want to be responsible for her death- for any death, but especially hers. He just had to hang in... "Let go, Will." He blinked. This calm, reserved voice... It was not one of the girls, but Sabrina herself. He stared again at her. "WHAT?! You can't be honest, I mean, you would die...!" She smiled weakly at him. "I do not care about death, Will. If I die...well, so be it." 'If I die now, I'll die happily...captured in dreams I could never thought of...if I hadn't met you...' "Save yourself. You're needed, Will, the league still needs you..." Will closed his eyes in discomfort, fighting back the tears. Why was no one doing anything, why didn't they try to do anything?! Even if they couldn't reach them, why not try it with any Pokemon, damn it?

"But I need you!"

The girls were shocked. The boys were shocked. Maybe even Will himself was shocked. The words had formed without him thinking, without him realizing just what he had hinted. In a way, it felt true- truer than anything else.

Her eyes told him nothing, if not a bit of shock, too. She just kept staring at him, her eyes switching between dull and shining rapidly. She did not understand...or maybe she did. Then she did not want to understand. Not now. She didn't want to finally grasp these feelings, these feelings inside her, now that they were probably going to both die, if Will didn't get his mind straight and drop her. She did not want him to die, as he should live so the league had at least one competent psychic trainer. She did not want to die with him. It would be romanticized too much, made too tragic, too heroic, too emotional. That was not the way she wanted to end up in death. Not as a symbol of something that may or may not exist, she wanted to die as being herself. Herself alone. Not with him. Not have him die at her side. For nothing in the world.

"I need you, not these useless charming chatting lipstick girls there!" he growled, the tears finally falling. Needless to say that the mentioned girls were anything but amused... "They're just like mindless little mannequins, caring about the outside so much they forget they should have some kind of inside as well...Some uniqueness, some kind of character! They're all the same; all the same around me...I'm sick of it!" "What?" Lily exclaimed, but Misty shut her up by clamping her hand over her sister's mouth smoothly. "Shut up, this is no moment for your mindless babble!"

"Is there anything these girls give me besides their beauty? Anything?" He almost cried. "No, and if I only cared about beauty, what kind of bastard would I be? No, no...I don't need someone who drools and prays over me, I need someone who can discuss, scold me...someone who sees me as the person, not the man." He swallowed. "You hate me. But still you talk to me, you trusted me once I started to trust you, and you were honest...No fake image, no plastered fiction for the magazine's cameras...You are yourself. It's you I'm fond of...because you were able to hold your position against me, and be equal to me...That's how girls should be nowadays: they shouldn't fight over the guys like animals. You are so different...you hate me...and yet...I started to fall in..."

"Will, be careful, the rock's..." Lance didn't get to finish his sentence. The crunch below them was too loud and suddenly, everything broke away. Everything.

"Pidgeotto, go!" Falkner's Pokemon had problems flying through the small hole in the wall that was blocked by tubes and other metal parts. The flying Pokémon almost cut its wings but dashed down nevertheless. Everything was quiet. Many of the trainers still had to recover from the shock of Will's speech, with not less of them still frightened over his possible death.

Seconds dragged on, until the flap of Pidgeotto could be heard again. Everyone held their breath, and then...

"You're alive!"

Will smiled. It wasn't comfortable sitting on the Pokemon's back, but at least he was okay- no, they were okay. Sabrina was sitting next to him, eyes half closed. She seemed to be in some kind of shock, but already recovering slowly. She was clinging to his side, and he had to admit he wasn't bothered at all. It felt actually nice. It felt warm, comfortable, and relaxing. They were alive. Of course, it wasn't the time to be overconfident, as they weren't out of the lion's cage yet, but at least they both had a chance now. And he had- well, had almost- confessed to her, too.

Sabrina stared at the brown feathers, trying to stay conscious. Colours were swirling before her eyes, but it was nothing against the storming ocean of feelings inside her. She couldn't place anything, as everything approached her and yet drifted away, not letting her grasp any emotion, or any piece of information that may help her reorganize herself, or to put the situation into some category. She knew something like this had never happened to her before, so it was useless trying to compare it. But she had to try, as otherwise, she feared, she would go mad. She was just not used to...to feel so much. She felt sick.

Pidgeotto landed softly on the ground, lowering its head and sitting down to allow the trainers to climb down. Falkner was standing next to his Pokemon, stroking its soft neck. "Done well, done well." Calling his Pokemon back, he smiled at Will, which Will did in turn just as happily. Lance came closer as well. He shot a quick glance at Sabrina, but returned his gaze to Will just as fast. The champion opened his mouth, but when he felt that it would be quite inappropriate to ask just what the freaking hell had happened between them, he shut his mouth again, sighing to keep his voice, and the answers that wanted to jump from out of his throat at them, down. "We have to go now. Giovanni surely wanted to stop us by blocking the way, but look!" He pointed to a small corner that had been hidden so far, but the explosion had apparently destroyed its locked door. "Same route, actually. We can still get out of here!" Will nodded. "See, Sabrina, would have been stupid if I had let you go, right?" He turned to his side, but to his horror, Sabrina had fallen to her knees and was quite close to collapsing.


"Ouch....my head hurts..." Domino grunted, rubbing her temples, decorating them with even more dust. Her hair was already as pale as flax, nothing reminding one of the once bright blonde they were. "Mpfh, where did these idiots go to...?" The agent asked, looking around. Blinking, she noticed a tall figure leaning against a wall. Instinctively, without thinking at all, she rushed to it, in order to catch at least one of them. She could only slip away when she noticed that it was her own boss...

"Uh, oh...boss, I'm sorry, I could not..." Giovanni loosely waved a hand. "Don't worry, Agent 009, we got what we wanted." Domino blinked. They got...what they wanted? A hole-no, two holes in the walls, a malfunctioning alarm bell, at least three wounded grunts and strained nerves?

Or was he talking about their gracious adventure trip?

Giovanni grinned, waving a bundle of green paper in front of her eyes. Domino's nose twitched, she knew that smell.

"The league paid the ransom yesterday. I would have let them go anyway." Domino blinked. She had forced herself to go through all this trouble, got her ass kicked many, many times, got her Make-up ruined, not to mention that she had a headache now, and they didn't even need the gym leaders anymore?

She wanted to smack her boss right in the face.

"It was a lovely plan, wasn't it?" She chirped, a plastic smile forming on her stressed, strained face.

(*glares at triple-post* Chapter was too long...>>)

"What's wrong?" Will asked, falling to her side. Absent-mindedly, he noticed some dark mist around, but did not pay it any attention.

"She's finally succumbing to the dark attack." Will shot around, his neck actually hurting from moving so fast, his breaths being quicker. "Karen?" He asked quietly, surprised by the input of the dark queen. They hadn't been on good terms...

Karen glanced sadly at the fallen psychic trainer who was slightly moaning, obviously in a pain none of them could understand. She, on the other hand, could see the dark spirits around her, tearing at her soul, hurting her more than any physical weapon could manage it. How cruel...and yet, she enjoyed watching it. She wasn't called the dark queen for nothing.

"Crunch is quite a strong dark attack...I'm surprised she has managed to withstand it for so long." She looked again at Will, a wicked smile playing around her features. "She already told you, hasn't she? The stronger the psychic, the worse the effects. Crunch can- and will, if nothing happens- kill her." Karen closed her eyes, not caring about the shock she caused. "Dark attacks kill the soul and the mind. Psychics have the most fragile minds, in terms of structure and complexity. Sure, they can do marvellous things with their mind...but they're helpless against dark attacks." She opened her eyes again, kneeling next to Sabrina, touching her wounded shoulder with a delicate finger, her black, long, witch like finger nail tracing a line of blood. Sabrina winced. "You see it, don't you? You're psychic, too, William, don't lie to me, I can feel it..." She smirked. "You see the shadows, right?" Karen stood up again, leaving a helpless Will who was not feeling any better. "Once they've completely covered her...well, let's just say that a body can't survive without a soul." Karen turned her back to them, walking in the direction of the small hallway that led to their freedom. "Wait!" Will screamed at her, standing up abruptly and following her a few steps. "How much longer does she have? Please, tell me, you might know..." he whispered. He felt so bad, he had not noticed anything about the psychic gym leader's condition. Karen glanced back and sighed. "Judging by how much she struggled so far...she might have a few hours left. Five or six maybe...She is strong, after all...She can hold up her defences for quite a while. I wouldn't count on it, though." Karen grinned. "Pokecenters know how to treat this, surprisingly. Healing psychic Pokemon and human psychics are not much different, you see." "Then she still has a chance." "If we get out here soon, yes." Lance glanced at Will with an approving, cheerful smile. Will nodded and turned to Sabrina. It was obvious she couldn't walk anymore, so he would have to carry her. If this wasn't such a dire situation, he would be happy.

Kneeling down, he took a short, troubled breath and put his arms under her neck and knees, standing up while carrying her carefully. She was lighter than he had thought. That was good, as he wasn't that strong himself anymore, and wouldn't be able to carry her like that for long. For at the same time, he didn't want to give her away, didn't want to give away the responsibility. He had dragged her into this and now it was his task to get her out of there safely. He did not want her to die. 'Quite a rollercoaster ride we've been through.' He thought silently, hoping that she did not hear him. It was unlikely, as she seemed to be only half-conscious, and also in mental pain.

Everything was a blur for Sabrina. Every sense was mixed into the other, with colours fading into sounds, touches triggering images, everything just a whole mess. It was hard to breath, for every breath made her feel on fire, and yes, she did feel like she was on fire. Especially her wound. It hurt so much she wanted to scream, but she couldn't find her voice, her throat dry and hurting as well.

'So if this is death...then rest in peace is a joke.'

She tried to focus on something, but everything was black and red and she couldn't even tell them apart anymore. There was something soft next to her cheek, but it could just as well as have been a box of nails, as there was no difference for her anymore. Even time seemed to disappear. She could not tell how long she was in this state of confusion. Only that suddenly, everything was white in front of her. It wasn't heaven, though, she was sure of that. If she had really died and had been carried on into heaven- as if some monster like her would be allowed there!- then the pain would have disappeared, right? But it was still there, eating away her body and soul, feeding on her very being.

"The...snow..." Snow? Yes, it was snow. She was surprised that she had realized it herself. Words had no meaning to her anymore, just a useless column of letters, but letters themselves were only coloured lines in a blur that was supposed to be the world. Her head ached.

"Sabrina?" Will glanced down. They were outside now, but they had to keep on running. They had to get away as fast as possible, hoping to lose Team Rocket once they were in woods. And then, they had again a week of survival before them. He glanced again at Falkner. Even with his Pidgeotto, it would take them a few hours to get to Indigo Plateau, and he wasn't sure if Sabrina would make it...

She sighed. The dark barriers were away, her troubled mind could tell her that much. Somehow, she was sure there was something she had to think of, something she had to be reminded of. Something very important, something their lives depended on...

Struggling, she tried to keep her thoughts together. It was so hard, as her head was aching so much and every thought hurt.

"Teleportation..." She whispered, suddenly remembering.

Will was startled by the white light, and even more startled when he saw that Sabrina was its origin. He recognized it as teleport, but that didn't lower his surprise in any way. Yes, they had planned on teleporting back with her help, but that was when they were still sure they would make it back safely, unhurt. How could she...She was dying, for heaven's sake!

But he could not do anything anymore. The trickling feeling on his skin did not go away, and then, his senses faded away into complete whiteness.

'Everything's...so bright...'


The first thing Will saw again was grey. He was wondering if, after white and grey, now black was bound to come in some way, but tossed that thought away.

The grey...it was actually the league's headquarters. He only recognized it now, because there was scaffolding everywhere, apparently covering the hole that had been blasted in by the explosion. But still, it was the headquarters nonetheless. They were home, they were safe!

"We've made it! Oh god, I can't believe it, we've made it!" He almost broke out with laughter; he couldn't just believe their luck. After all this trouble, they had made it. They had made it.

'Have we?' Karen grinned.

"Sabrina, see, we..." He stopped dead in his tracks. Black mist covered her motionless body.

End Part 3

I accidentally found this today while searching for "Erika" of all things... I didn't realize you had updated until then. So in case you're wondering whether it was worth it to put Erika in for one line... yes, yes it was.

This was an intriguing chapter and extremely well-flowing... very colorful. I can't get over the ironic ending, where Giovanni already had the money... oh, that was good! Makes me wish he was still alive... ha ha.

And of course, very romantic, Will finally gave his feelings away. It's too bad that Sabrina won't live to know them... or will she? She isn't dead yet, is she? I'm going to hope she survives, otherwise there couldn't be a sequel (which I still think you must write, especially if Cynthia appears in it).

So, great chapter, the best one of all. The Giovanni moment managed to top Will's confession to Sabrina, if only because it was such a surprise. It's hard to get true shockers in stories, but that sure was one right there, and it was a funny one, at that.

XD I actually had to search for her when you said I had put Erika in for one line...I forgot where...

XD! That was exactly the scene I added lately. I had to find a conclusion for Gio, as him just letting them go after the explosion seemed to be...ehm...dumb. Yes, dumb. >>;; So I gave him the money and Domino a big, fat, nice headache. 0=) I love threating her character so nicely, don't I? I should include her again, just for the fun.

No telling, no telling. You have to read. And just because there's a sequel doesn't say anything about Sabrina's fate. I did say that Karen is not Will's former girlfriend in my sequel.

XD!!! I'm really glad I added it.
Hopefully, I can put a few different shockers into the sequel. Already thought of some. ^.~
But now, because I now you're waiting (and I want to get my birthday gift straight), final chapter!

4. Chapter: Casualties &Confessions

Will stood next to the double-wing doors of the second meeting room, watching the sunset silently, thoughtfully. The sun was warming his face, covering it in orange and red, except for the parts that were hidden by his black mask. It was getting warmer. The snow had melted over the last days, leaving nothing but green grass, and slowly blossoming flowers. Even here in the mountains. Down there, in the valleys of the bigger cities Celadon and Saffron, it must have been even better. Spring had begun earlier there, arriving there with a small delay but arriving nonetheless. Everywhere, everything was fresh with new life, bursting out with energy and the desire to grow, to live.

He smiled. He felt lonely. He should go back inside; maybe he would find some comfort, some company there.

Sighing, he shook his head, convincing himself that it was no good idea. The girls would surely only annoy him. He had gone a long way to understand that he did not need them. Yes, he would still playfully tease them, giving away one or two roses, but it would never be the same anymore, these games wouldn't make him happy anymore. He had learned that his heart laid elsewhere.

With closed eyes, following his newfound supernatural feelings, he walked over to the fountain Lance had had installed in the middle of the terrain. It had just been turned on yesterday, the crystal clear water already splashing and shining in the warm light. He sat down on its edge, staring at the horizon, where the red orb started to glow, bathing everything in an even darker light. It was the deep red, the colour of blood, the ever existing symbol of love. He felt indeed very lonely...

"Why do they say that spring is the beginning of all life when it's also the death of winter?"

"I did not know that you're such a poet, William."

He opened his eyes in surprise, turning his head slightly around. He had not heard, felt her, nor expected her, not yet, but it was a very nice surprise.

"I did not know that they had already let you out of hospital..."

Sabrina grinned, sitting down carefully next to him on the grey, polished stone, freckled with little patches of black and white. "I practically escaped. The food is unbearable, I tell you." Will stared at her. "Little trickster you are, eh? How did you do that? Your Haunter?" She smiled, nodding. "Exactly. He's annoying, but useful when you really need him." Will took a deep breath, trying to look authority-like. He always failed at doing so, but at least around her, it wasn't so embarrassing. "I hope you already feel well enough to walk outside just as easily. I mean, you're still not allowed to use your powers, are you?" She noticed his joke, playfully trying to sound innocent. "I do feel well enough, your honour, and yes, I'm still not allowed." She put her tongue out. "Stupid doctors, acting as if they have eaten tons of wisdom. They're no psychics. I could use my powers if I really had to." He put an arm around her shoulders, glancing at the bandage around her left one. He wouldn't make the mistake of touching the wound again. "But now you don't have to, my dear, we're safe." She nodded silently. She was uncomfortable somehow, looking away to hide a blush that was already well hidden by the sun's light, only she did not notice.

"I should apologize..." She whispered finally, trying to keep her staggering voice under halfway decent control. "For what?" Will almost laughed. If there was one thing he didn't need, didn't want, it was her apology. She had done nothing that would force one. "For treating you so badly. I was being stupid..." She tried to smile and that try ended up being cuter than a real smile. "I acted out of pure jealousy. I..." she sighed. "You know what I mean." Will grinned. He did. "But I don't..." She interrupted him fiercely. "I know you don't mind. Heck, you even said you liked being scolded and having a woman around you that can stand up to you..." She coughed, looking away quickly before her blush could be seen again. "I know all of that...and I admire you for being like that...I guess I could never get along with someone who criticises me all the time." Will had to laugh. If that was not typical of Sabrina...

"Don't worry, I won't do that. I don't want to get turned into a doll." He winked at her. Sabrina coughed. He had touched the very topic she had come to discuss, but now she wasn't even sure she wanted to mention it. "Well..." She gulped. How to start, how to begin, how to form the words without sounding too emotional, too unlike herself?

"I remember what you were about to say when you saved me back then...that you had fallen...I guess...in love with me.." She finished in a whisper that almost wasn't audible over the fountain's splashing anymore.

Now Will was glad that he was wearing a mask, for he could never have managed to hide that blush from her. It was true he had tried to finish the sentence in exactly that fashion. That he had tried to confess to her. But it had been a perilous situation and one where he really hadn't had the time to think about what he was saying. While everything was true so far, the thing with him being not at all interested in the other girls...was that also true for his confession? Was he really ready to risk a relationship with a woman that had hated him not even weeks ago? That had never wanted him to step into her life, taking her position, and taking all her glory?

On the other hand, she had forgiven him, and even apologized to him.

So, why not? If his heart felt it was true- and it did, why not?

"Yeah..." He felt like a young school boy, making up secret dates with the school's cutie. He was nervous. "I guess...I did so..." He waited. He waited for her response. His heart beat faster and yet, he felt cold.

Sabrina sighed. She tried to bite her tongue, but stopped. She wanted to do this, had to do this. For if she did not find the courage now, she never would. "I think...that feeling is mutual, because I fell...in love with you too." Again, she tried to smile, looking unusual shy.

For a second, Will was taken aback by her courageous confession, but he couldn't help but smile. For who would have thought that this would be the outcome of their mission, the outcome of the gym leaders conference? Him getting a girlfriend? And then such a special girl? Fate's ways are unpredictable.

He closed his eyes, playing with a strand of her black hair. "Then I guess you don't need this anymore..." She blinked and turned her head around, just in time to see a red rose materialize. She smiled, taking the rose and staring at it. "Not really." Putting it besides them, she took another deep breath, staring at him. He did the same. After an awkward moment of silence, he lowered his head, laying his arm around her heck, their faces coming closer and...

"Ehm...?"

Both Sabrina and Will were startled, jerking their heads to the side. Lance and the other elite trainers, including the gym leaders, were standing on the terrace. Their reactions were...different, to say the last.

Many of the girls were simply shocked, stunned, and unbelieving, their mouths hanging open as if gravity had just increased heavily. Misty was snickering, not even trying to help her poor sisters, but at the same time, winking at the new couple. Erica nodded with a wise, elegant smile, Koga almost copying her expression if for the fact that it didn't look all too feminine on him. Karen continued to lick her fingers, while most of the boys were dumbfound, startled, surprised or simply amazed that the newbie had managed to crack the ghoul, a task seemingly impossible so far.

"Ehm...what are you doing?" Lance asked, as if it was that impossible to see...

Misty was close to face palming. Either her head honcho had now managed to get himself a one-way ticket into a dollhouse or he managed to destroy the strangest relationship the league had ever seen since that accident with her Psyduck and Whitney's Clefairy.

The two psychics glared hatefully at the group, before Will glanced at Sabrina and nodded to them with a hinting smile. Sabrina got the message quickly, for her body glowed blue, with the light circling around the other trainers. "Wha-!" Even before they could finish, they vanished in the same light, with nothing left signalling their presence.

Sabrina smiled and turned back to Will, carefully removing his mask. He didn't mind. "It works better without it..." And they finally kissed.

The End
The End?...no,no....0=)

So no, she did not die. ^.^ Zammy fell for my trick, though. ^^
And yes, I know the chapter is short. >> The epilogue is even shorter. >>;;;;

Edit: Almost forget the little present I wanted to put in. Two songs that heavily inspired me. For the first Chapter: Trains and Winter Rains ^^ Obvious inspiration there.
Bleeding Love I took the title literally...

Wow, I thought for sure she had died when I began to read it. Some real suspense built up there, I was shocked when she was still alive. And a very romantic ending for the two, she actually did confess her love, and they did kiss... very satisfying ending, and funny, too. I'll look forward to the epilogue... and sequel.

Sabrina grinned, sitting down carefully next to him on the grey, polished stone, freckled with little patches of black and white.

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Yay! She's alive. You seriously had me worried about this for awhile. ;_;

"Exactly. He's annoying, but useful when you really need him."

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Is this a metaphor? 0=)

"But now you don't have to, my dear, we're safe." She nodded silently.

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I dunno why, but 'dear' seems more harsh than 'honey.' *sweatdrop*

"Yeah..." He felt like a young school boy, making up secret dates with the school's cutie.

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I'm trying to picture Sabrina as the "school's cutie." I like the thought, but I think she'd be more of the loner who everybody was afraid of. Since she was still emotionless in high school methinks. But nonetheless, she is darn cute. :D

Sabrina sighed. She tried to bite her tongue, but stopped. She wanted to do this, had to do this. For if she did not find the courage now, she never would. "I think...that feeling is mutual, because I fell...in love with you too." Again, she tried to smile, looking unusual shy.

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foxcry

"Then I guess you don't need this anymore..." She blinked and turned her head around, just in time to see a red rose materialize.

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Aww, he switched the colours for her. So sweet, XD. (And that's saying a lot coming from me, ain't it? :P)

or he managed to destroy the strangest relationship the league had ever seen since that accident with her Psyduck and Whitney's Clefairy.

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I get an odd feeling from that imagery. *pictures a Clefairy with a beak leaning to the side saying Psy-Psy-Clefairy!*

Sabrina smiled and turned back to Will, carefully removing his mask. He didn't mind. "It works better without it..." And they finally kissed.

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foxcry

So no, she did not die. ^.^ Zammy fell for my trick, though. ^^

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XD yes, yes I did. But I was relieved that it was just a trick! :D

Good luck with the sequel, P*A!