Chapter 18: Setback Concluded

Chris blinked. He looked up at the Saffron City Gym and was surprised to find 
faces looking back at him from each window. There were even a couple of 
people on the roof. He looked over at the Dojo and saw faces through the 
windows there too. In fact, he could have sworn that ne face had a large 
beard attached to it on the second story.

He heard talking and clapping, and turned back to find people staring at the 
makeshift arena from across the street. Three cars lay parked on the street, 
people had stopped to watch the battle. He had been too enthralled to notice.

Karma was kneeling by Noche and was whispering something to her downed 
pokemon, then she withdrew her pokeball and recalled the Absol. Across from 
them, Sabrina had recalled her pokeball as well. She remained silent, but she 
narrowed her eyes and stared at the two.

Chris felt awkward, although he didn't know straightened up and approached 
Chris and said, "We should hit a Pokemon Center, Noche is pretty hurt."

A bus rumbled into the Express bus stop, 'B: Gym District - North W. Saffron' 
was printed on its side. Karma turned, started walking to the bus stop and 
Chris followed when a psychic voice spoke out: 'don't go'.

They froze, and looked back at Sabrina. She was still staring at them and the 
psychic voice had evidently been hers. Eventually Karma turned and continued 
walking, "Ignore her, she probably wants a rematch."

'I'm not so petty. I know you want to go on the Magnet Train but you can't. 
The station is closed'.

Karma froze and looked back. She carefully studied Sabrina and asked out 
loud, "Why is it closed?"

'Goldenrod City closed the Station because of Team Rockets occupation of this 
city. Team Rocket may have left for now, but the station is still closed'.

"Wha?" Said Chris. "Then it'll take forever for us to get to Johto!"

Karma seemed a little bit more suspicious, "How do you know we need to get on 
the Magnet Train?"

Sabrina turned and strode toward the building, 'I read your minds. Please 
follow me'.

Karma's mouth opened. Chris just scratched his head. Then he decided to 
follow. Karma reached for him as he walked and asked, "You're going to trust 
her?!"

"Why not?" he said simply. "I think its alright. Now that I think about it, 
when I was trying to figure out how to get to Kanto, I was told I wouldn't be 
able to use the Magnet train. Now I know why."

He followed Sabrina inside and, with a little hesitation, Karma followed.

Inside the Gym Lobby they were greeted by five teenage trainers who were 
apologizing to Sabrina for spying, praising her, and hissing at Karma at the 
same time. They each scrambled to a different part of the room(four corners 
and the center) and disappeared by standing on blue podiums. Teleporters.

Sabrina sighed and mentally said, 'forgive them. They appear foolish but they 
mean no harm'. With that she turned to them and closed her eyes. Everything 
around Chris became blurry and fuzzy but then almost instantly returned to 
clear and distinctive. They were now standing in a rather large room. There 
were no windows, and only one teleporter, which lay on the far south side of 
the room. Near the center was a lowered area that was obviously cleared as an 
arena for battle. The farthest northern part of the room had a raised podium; 
this was the Leader's Room.

From there Sabrina led the two through one of two doors next to the podium. 
They came upon a room that resembled an urban living room. Two couches laid 
on either side of a coffee table, a wide screen TV was set up on a wall. 
Sabrina motioned for them to take a seat. They did.

'I should explain, I read your mind but that does not mean I now know 
everything about your situation. Reading minds is not so simple, I only got a 
general sense', Sabrina said mentally. 'I know that you are on some sort of 
journey, that people have died, and that you need to go to Johto in order to 
save lives. I also know that you are pursued by Team Rocket and most notably, 
Mewtwo'.

"Mewtwo? You know about Mewtwo?" asked Chris.

"I thought you said you didn't know any psychic cats?" cut in Karma.

'I lied', Sabrina said plainly. 'There are two reasons I tolerate Team 
Rocket's occupation of Saffron. They have threatened innocent lives if I were 
to try and stop them. And they have personally shown me Mewtwo's abilities'.

"...You have battled Mewtwo?" asked Chris.

'I have been soundly defeated by Mewtwo', conceded Sabrina.

"What else do you know?" asked Karma.

'Honestly, that is about all', Sabrina said. 'Reading minds is not an exact 
science by any stretch of the imagination, and pressing too deeply into 
memories doesn't make them easier to read, but harder to understand. What I 
can see at the surface is all I can usually get, and 'trying' to get anything 
else is only harmful to your minds and mine'.

'Regardless', she continued. 'You are on some sort of mission to save lives 
and that is enough reason for me to help you. I doesn't appear that time is 
of true importance to your quest, but saving lives faster is always a good 
thng, no? I understand you need to reach Johto, I will get you there, or 
atleast as far as I can. By means of teleportation of course'.

Chris and Karma didn't say anything for awhile, they exchanged looks, then 
Chris asked, "Can you take us to Ilex Forest?"

Sabrina frowned, 'I am not too familiar with Johto's geography, but that is 
the large forest in southern Johto, no? Well, no I can't take you to Ilex 
Forest, but I can leave you at Goldenrod City. If Ilex is indeed your 
destination, then you are in luck. Goldenrod is just north of Ilex Forest. 
Half a day's walk at the slowest pace'.

Karma looked sceptical again, "Why only as far as Goldenrod?"

'I can only take you where I myself have been previously, I have been to 
Goldenrod, but never Ilex Forest', Sabrina explained. She had been standing 
throughout the conversation, her face impassive. 'I will take you tomorrow 
morning. It is getting late, I request you stay the night'.

Before Chris and Karma had a chance to accept (or decline), Sabrina extended 
an arm toward Karma, 'please give me your Absol's pokeball. I will have it 
healed along with my Alakazam, and any other pokemon that may need healing, 
and have them returned to you, along with your Marsh Badge'.

"I can take it to the PokeCenter," said Karma, mistrust printed in her eyes.

Sabrina's arm remained outstretched, 'I am not asking you to like me, but at 
least trust me'.

Karma frowned at Sabrina, but she withdrew a pokeball from her belt and 
handed it to her. Sabrina motioned at a to the left of the T.V., 'there is a 
hallway beyond that door with five more doors; three guest bedrooms, a 
bathroom, and my bed room. Take two, don't worry about taking mine, that one 
is locked'.

Sabrina closed her eyes. She was evidently about to teleport when her eyes 
snapped open and she cried physically, "I'm sorry!"

Chris and Karma looked surprised. "Sorry about what?" asked Chris.

"I forgot to properly introduce myself. Sorry, I've never been one for 
formalities but this is one thing I at least always try to remember..." 
Sabrina bowed slightly. "My name is Sabrina, leader of Saffron City Gym."

Chris and Karma glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I'm Chris Gemport."

"Karma Metrawire."

"Okay then," Sabrina's face became impassive and unreadable again. When she 
spoke again, it was mentally, 'if you would like to eat, please take that 
other door'. She motioned to a door west of the T.V. 'Beyond lies a kitchen 
and dinning room, I'll be eating there shortly'.

Then she was gone.

Karma walked to the hallway-door. Before Chris could say anything she said, 
"I'm not hungry, I'll be tucking in."

Chris thought she was being obstinate. How long had it been since she had 
eaten anyways? He decided to hit the kitchen. Five minutes passed and 
eventually Sabrina appeared. She had pot full of warm thick soup, fresh 
bread, and a jug of milk. Chris and Sabrina sat and enjoyed their meal, 
discussing the battle between her and Karma in detail. He had called out 
Bayleaf and Mismagius and they ate some of the broth along with an Abra that 
belonged to Sabrina.

When the mean was over, he recalled his pokemon, thanked Sabrina and was 
about to retire to bed when the dining room door opened and Karma walked in, 
dressed in purple pajamas. Her eyes widened at seeing Chris, but she directed 
her attention to Sabrina. She requested some food from Sabrina and returned 
to her room with it.

Chris found himself in a tidy bedroom; it had a carpeted floor, cozy bed, 
bedside table, and large wardrobe. He changed, hit the bathroom, and got into 
bed.

He didn't think he was tired but he had barely closed his eyes when deep 
peaceful sleep descended.

<><><><><>

He first dreamed of home. Of Azalea Town. He dreamed of the Slowpoke Well, 
and of playing in ancient woods, and of his parents. One moment he was small 
and in a sunlite small dining room. His mom had brought in a plate of cookies 
and he ate them greedily while his mom smiled above him. The day changed and 
he was in a shop with his father; helping him sell potions to passing 
trainers. He remembered admiring their shiny pokeballs. Then he was small and 
sitting in a dark bedroom, his mom was crying in the next room. His dad had 
died.

Then he had followed Chikorita into the woods at night and found a small 
green pokemon gravely wounded. He secretly nursed it back to health and 
became friends with it. They played in the woods until poachers showed up one 
day and it disappeared in a wave of green light.

Then his dream changed and it was no longer about his childhood but of Karma. 
He wouldn't remember this later, but he dreamed of her and her purple 
pajamas. That dream went almost as suddenly as it had come.

Finally he dreamt one final thing. This particular dream he would remember 
later, it was something of a recurring dream he had seemingly always had. He 
was running through fields, forests, caves, deserts, mountains, and somtimes 
even through towns and over oceans. It felt great to run, and he was 
amazingly fast. He covered mile after mile and he wasn't alone either. He had 
two great friends who always ran with him. He couldn't get a good look at 
them but one was characterized by blue and the other by red. Together, the 
three friends visited many lands, made many friends, and became legends.