Sabrina and Abra were already on the verge of collapse as they used their psychic powers to stop Golurk's High Horsepower. Now that Golurk had followed up with Shadow Punch, there was no way they could continue to hold it back.
At last, Sabrina and Abra both fell backward simultaneously. Their psychic powers had been completely overwhelmed by Golurk, and Shadow Punch came crashing down toward Abra.
"T-teleport!"
Having lost the psychic connection, Sabrina finally gave Abra its first verbal command.
Just as Golurk's Shadow Punch was about to land, Abra suddenly disappeared from where it stood.
"Phantom Force."
Tetsuya smiled faintly. To him, a move like Teleport was no longer anything remarkable. At that moment, he finally demonstrated his own psychic abilities, sensing Abra's location.
"There!"
Tetsuya locked onto Abra's position. Upon hearing Tetsuya's command, Golurk reacted immediately. The instant Abra reappeared, Golurk threw a punch. Abra was sent flying straight out of the battlefield, losing its ability to battle.
"So it was true… you can use psychic powers as well…"
Sabrina recalled Abra. This time, she accepted her defeat completely. Since Tetsuya was also a psychic user, the little games she used to turn people into dolls naturally would not work on him.
"I won. It's time for you to keep our bet," Tetsuya said.
Sabrina replied calmly, "…There are countless psychic practitioners, but only a handful can genuinely turn it into actual power.
You are one of those few…
But as for using psychic powers as your own tactic and channeling them into Psychic-type Pokémon, besides my father and me, I have never seen a third person in this world."
"That's exactly why we had this battle, isn't it?" Tetsuya replied.
Although his competencies were still somewhat inferior to Sabrina's, there were only a handful of people in this world with abilities like his.
At present, his psychic powers could only be used to transmit commands to Psychic-type Pokémon and to control objects for attacking. Sabrina, however, could not only use psychic moves such as Teleport herself, but also channel her own power into Psychic-type Pokémon.
It was truly incredible!
What interested Tetsuya even more was learning how to use Teleport.
Sabrina said, "…It's true that I lost. But using psychic powers to use Teleport and channel energy into Pokémon are secret techniques passed down through my family.
Besides, learning them requires talent. Even if I tell you how, you still might not be able to learn them."
"Is that your excuse for going back on your word? Heh~ You're a Gym Leader, yet you can't even accept losing a simple bet."
Tetsuya's provocation became increasingly aggressive. Sabrina had achieved success at a very young age, becoming a Gym Leader while still a child, and she had suffered very few defeats.
Although she always appeared aloof and inaccessible, she was lonely inside. That was why she kept dolls as companions and constantly wanted to turn other people into dolls.
In truth, it was simply her way of filling the loneliness in her heart…
However, Sabrina's overbearing nature was beyond question. Otherwise, she would not have turned people into dolls at the slightest provocation. Yet today, Tetsuya had pressed her step by step.
"…Spread your psychic power throughout your entire body, then direct it in your mind toward the place where you want to move. That is the essence of Teleport.
But be careful. If your psychic power isn't strong enough, don't try to teleport too far. If your power gives out halfway and you end up falling into a ditch… humph, don't blame anyone else!"
After saying that, Sabrina used Teleport and left instantly, leaving Tetsuya alone.
Tetsuya kept replaying Sabrina's words in his mind. Getting her to reveal even that much had not been easy. If he could learn Teleport, many things would naturally become much more convenient. It would also be the perfect choise for creating an alibi.
---◓---
As Tetsuya walked out of Saffron Gym, Sabrina's father came up to him and asked, "So… you defeated Sabrina? How did she react?"
However, Tetsuya's mind was completely occupied with Sabrina's words, leaving him no time to pay attention to him. He simply continued walking forward on his own.
Still worried about his daughter, Sabrina's father used Teleport to enter the Gym.
---◓---
Let the psychic energy envelop his entire body…
That meant letting his powers carry him through space. In his mind, he visualized the destination and direction of the movement, which was essentially setting a target.
Since psychic powers originated from the mind, the destination and direction in his thoughts truly served as guidance for them. After that, he still needed sufficient remaining energy to complete the entire process.
According to Sabrina, that was "all" there was to it. At the same time, Tetsuya had to accurately judge his own limits and know exactly how far he was capable of teleporting. If he ran out of energy halfway through the teleportation, he really might end up falling into a ditch.
Now Tetsuya had basically understood everything Sabrina had told him. All that remained was practice. Practicing in a bustling city like this was obviously unrealistic. After returning to the Pokémon Center, Tetsuya packed up his things and checked out.
He could not wait even a moment longer!
Tetsuya continued traveling and managed to leave Saffron City before nightfall. Near a forest on the outskirts, he pitched his tent. After dinner, he sent his four Pokémon off to do some training and stretch themselves out. As for the remaining Cacturne, Tetsuya had no time to deal with it, so he did not even release it from its Poké Ball.
The open ground in front of the forest was exceptionally spacious, making it the perfect place to experiment with Teleport.
Standing still, Tetsuya prepared to begin. First, he completely enveloped his body with psychic energy. Then he imagined the far end of the open field and began channeling his psychic powers.
Fwoosh~
It really was Teleport!
Guided by his psychic powers, Tetsuya disappeared into the night. However, he did not arrive at the spot on the ground that he had originally imagined…
The same thing happened several times in succession.
Although he had successfully taken the first step, he was unable to reach the destination he had intended. If that was the case, what was the point of using Teleport? He could not control either the direction or the destination. If things went badly, he might even teleport somewhere dangerous.
Teleport had become a complete unknown!
---◓---
After practicing for a long time, nothing changed. Although he could successfully use Teleport, he still could not control its direction. Left with no other choice, he decided to get some sleep. Going back to ask Sabrina was no longer possible. The few words she had shared had already been forced out of her, and she had probably regretted telling him by now. He could only rely on his own now.
Practicing his psychic powers was extremely mentally exhausting. The moment he stopped thinking, he fell asleep.
The next day, he once again had his four Pokémon continue their own training while he kept with Teleport.
What annoyed him was that his results were even worse than the day before…
There was simply no way to control where he would appear after teleporting!
Not once did he arrive at the location he had intended, and Tetsuya became increasingly frustrated. How was it possible that the more he practiced, the worse he became!!!?