Sabrina's expression remained unchanged, but her purple eyes narrowed a fraction.
The blue aura around her flickered once, almost imperceptibly, as the black wave from Meowscarada roared forward.
"Psybeam."
Kadabra's eyes flared brighter red.
"Kadabraaa!" it rasped, raising its spoon high. A thick, multicolored beam erupted from its forehead, twisting rainbows of psychic energy shooting straight into the incoming Dark Pulse.
The two forces collided mid-air with a deafening crack. Dark shadow clashed against prismatic light. Sparks flew in every direction. The chamber shook.
For a heartbeat, the Dark Pulse pushed harder, swallowing chunks of the Psybeam and surging closer to Kadabra.
Then Sabrina's blue aura flared brighter around her.
Kadabra twisted the spoon. "Kadabra!" it growled. The beam intensified, forcing the black energy back inch by inch.
Meowscarada snarled, paws trembling violently as she poured every last bit of strength into the wave. "Nyaaargh!!"
"Meowscarada, you can do it! Push harder! I believe in you!"
Lopunny stepped closer, "Lopuuu! Lopuuu!" she cheered, voice sweet but fierce, full of unwavering faith.
My voice cracked with urgency, raw and pleading. Hearing me, her trainer, her lover, and Lopunny's warm, familiar calls seemed to ignite something deeper inside Meowscarada.
Her pink eyes flashed brighter, determination surging through her like wildfire.
She leaned forward with a fierce growl, body steady and pushing with every ounce of force she had left. "Nyaaaaarghhh!!"
The collision exploded outward in a shockwave of light and shadow. Both attacks canceled each other, leaving smoke and ringing silence.
Kadabra staggered slightly, spoon trembling in its grip.
Sabrina's voice cut through the haze, still perfectly even.
"Recover."
Kadabra closed its eyes. "Kadabraaa…" A soft green glow enveloped its body. Wounds faded. Energy returned.
"Don't give it time! Dark Pulse again!"
Meowscarada thrust her paws forward. "Nyaa!" Black energy surged out in a roaring wave, just as the green glow dimmed.
Sabrina's eyes narrowed. "Light Screen."
Kadabra's spoon flashed. "Kadabra!" A shimmering translucent barrier formed in front of it, glowing faintly with psychic light.
The Dark Pulse slammed into the barrier with a violent crack. The surface rippled, distorting under the pressure as shadows clawed against it, but the attack was weakened, its force bleeding away against the screen.
"Nyaa!" Meowscarada pushed harder, but the energy dispersed before it could break through.
A split second later, Kadabra's eyes flashed.
With a sharp twist of its spoon, the remaining dark energy was seized by psychic force and flung back.
"Nyaa!" Meowscarada braced herself as the weakened wave struck, shadow energy bursting against her fur.
She skidded back, claws carving lines into the ground, but held her footing, a low growl rumbling from her chest. "Nyaa…"
I clenched my fists. Kadabra keeps teleporting away or reflecting everything from a distance.
Every long-range move we throw gets turned against us. I can't keep wasting energy on attacks that never land. I need to get in close, force it into a real fight… something it can't just bounce or vanish from.
My eyes flicked to the spoon in its hand, that glowing silver thing. It's channeling everything through that. If we knock it away, maybe its power drops. That's our shot.
"Shadow Ball!" Sabrina commanded again.
"Kadabraaa!" it rasped, raising its spoon. Dark ghostly energy gathered between its palms, swirling into a crackling black orb that grew larger and denser, shadows licking at the edges like eerie flames.
The orb pulsed once, then shot forward with a low whoosh, trailing wisps of darkness.
"Dodge it!"
Meowscarada leaped high, twisting mid-air. But Sabrina's voice cut through the air, calm and precise.
"Control it."
The dark orb suddenly froze in place. Then bent sharply, changing direction mid-flight like it had a mind of its own. It curved back around, chasing Meowscarada with renewed speed, pulsing with shadowy energy.
"Meowscarada! Ignore it and use Knock Off! Get that spoon!"
Meowscarada didn't hesitate. She blurred forward, dark energy swirling thick around her paw like black smoke.
The Shadow Ball grazed her side, cold darkness biting into her fur and sending a sharp jolt of pain through her body. She hissed through clenched teeth, but she didn't slow. Not even a fraction.
Kadabra tried to teleport.
She was faster.
Meowscarada closed the gap in an instant. Her paw slapped down on the spoon with a sharp crack, dark energy exploding on impact.
The silver item flew from Kadabra's grip, spinning wildly across the ground.
Kadabra recoiled hard, clutching its empty hand, "Kadabraaa…!"
Without the spoon, its psychic power visibly weakened, sparks dimmed, movements slowed.
Sabrina's eyes glowed bright red again. The blue aura around her grew stronger, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Kadabra teleported desperately toward the fallen spoon.
"Keep going! Night Slash, full power!"
Meowscarada leaped high, claws crossed in an X. "Nyaaaa!" She dove down like a shadow meteor.
Kadabra reached for the spoon, hands outstretched, trying a desperate Psychic barrier. "Kadabraaa…!"
The slash broke through. Claws raked across its chest.
Kadabra flew back, crashing against the platform steps with a heavy thud. It tried to rise, body trembling, eyes flickering. "Kad…abra…"
Then it collapsed, limp and unconscious.
The chamber fell silent.
Lopunny let out a soft, trembling "Lopuu…" half relief, half joy. Her ears drooped as tears glistened in her wide brown eyes.
She rushed forward first, paws outstretched.
I followed right behind, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Meowscarada came toward us, fur scorched and matted, but her pink eyes shone with quiet triumph.
We met in the middle of the field.
Lopunny reached her first, wrapping both arms around Meowscarada in a tight hug.
Meowscarada leaned into it with a low, exhausted "Nyaa…" and nuzzled back, tail flicking weakly.
I dropped to my knees beside them and pulled both into my arms. Fur against skin, warmth against warmth.
For a moment, nothing else existed. Just the three of us holding on like we might never let go.
I didn't know why Kadabra had been so strong. It felt wrong, like Sabrina had been feeding it power somehow.
I wasn't sure how, but the way her aura had flared every time Kadabra moved… it wasn't natural.
Not normal.
The little teal-haired girl in Sabrina's lap stirred with disappointment
"He won..."
A red beam shot from pokéballs in her hand. It struck the fallen Kadabra, pulling it back into it in a flash of light.
Sabrina looked down at us, at Meowscarada, then at me. Her expression stayed calm.
"Now you must fulfill your promise," I said, looking at her. "Help Kirlia."
Sabrina regarded me for a long moment, expression unchanging. Then she gave the slightest nod.
"Bring it out."
I nodded quickly in return. My hands shook as I pulled out the Dream Ball and released her.
Kirlia appeared in a soft shimmer.
Sabrina looked at Kirlia and it drifted closer to her.
"It is pretty simple to cure her," Sabrina said, voice flat. "You or someone needs to go inside its dream and wake it up. But if you are not able to… you will fall asleep yourself. Forever."
--<>--
One paper is done, three more remain.