Chapter 73: Saffron City

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Liam returned to his room, holding the box with an expression of curiosity. He carefully opened it and froze, his eyelids twitching at the sight of its contents.

At the top of the box was a black hole mask and a white hole badge. Beneath them lay a neatly folded dark red cloak—black on the outside, red on the inside—with a high collar. 

At first glance, it looked like something straight out of a vampire's wardrobe.

Liam covered his face with his hand. He had imagined all sorts of possibilities for what might be inside the box—he would've believed it even if it contained contraband. 

But after all the fanfare and two full days of waiting, this was what he received?

He slowly picked up the black hole mask and tried it on. It fit perfectly, as if custom-made. Then, he took out the cloak, draped it over his shoulders, and turned around to fasten it. 

The collar clasped naturally, securing it tightly. It felt slightly oversized, almost wrapping around his entire body, leaving only a narrow gap in the front, likely designed for ease of movement.

Despite his initial skepticism, it looked pretty cool. Finally, Liam pinned the white hole badge to his chest, straightened his posture, and made a dramatic turn. 

He gazed at his reflection in the mirror with a serious, "cool guy" look.

But he lasted less than five seconds before squatting on the floor, his face beet red as he covered it with both hands.

"So Fucking Embarassing!!!"

Liam's next destination was Saffron City, home to the Saffron Gym. 

A relatively short Route 6 connected it to Vermilion City. If he rode his bike, he should reach it quickly. 

With Sneasel at his side, he was confident about tackling the Psychic-type Gym. Afterward, he planned to visit Lavender Town to explore the Ghost-type Pokémon there. 

If he got the chance, catching one would be great.

After lunch, Liam packed his belongings and hopped onto his turbo bike, heading north along Route 6.

By the time he reached Saffron City, it was late in the evening, and the sun had already set.

Upon entering the city, Liam immediately noticed how unique it was. All around him, strange people lined the streets, performing odd acts at bizarre nightclubs or market stalls—demonstrating psychic powers.

One person focused intensely on a spoon in their hand, bending and twisting it with sheer willpower.

Another sat cross-legged, levitating off the ground without any visible support.

Still, another had several orbs spinning rhythmically around them.

"So Psychic abilities really exist," Liam muttered in awe, marveling at the displays. "I didn't expect humans to be capable of this kind of power. It's incredible."

"Haha, these are just party tricks—mere scraps of true Psychic ability. Real Psychic powers can do far more than these trivial things."

Startled by the sudden voice behind him, Liam instinctively leapt away, dropping his turbo bike. He turned to find a tall man who had somehow appeared silently at his back.

"Whoa, relax, kid!" The man chuckled warmly. "You must be new to Saffron City, huh? That's why you're so intrigued by these street performances."

Realizing the man meant no harm, Liam sheepishly nodded and returned to pick up his bike. "Hello, my name's Liam. I'm from Pallet Town. This is my first time in Saffron City, and I'm here to challenge the Saffron Gym. Could you point me in the right direction, sir?"

"Sir? Do I really look that old to you?" The man staggered back, looking as though he'd been dealt a critical blow.

"Uh, are you okay?" Liam asked awkwardly, watching the man's sudden deflation.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the man said, perking up again. "So you're here to challenge the Gym, huh? Haha! Well, you're in luck. My name is Ander, and I happen to be the current Saffron Gym Leader! Surprised?"

"What?! You're the Gym Leader? That's way too coincidental!" Liam exclaimed in shock.

"Haha, it is, isn't it? So, kid, you probably don't have a place to stay tonight, right? If you don't mind, you're welcome to rest at my Gym. Tomorrow, we can battle after you're well-rested." Ander grinned.

"Ah, I don't want to trouble you. I was planning to stay at the Pokémon Center tonight," Liam replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the man's enthusiasm.

"Nonsense! It's my duty as the Gym Leader to take care of challengers. Plus, dinner's ready at my place, and my wife and daughter are waiting. Let's not keep them waiting!" Without giving Liam a chance to refuse, Ander clapped him on the shoulder. 

In a blur, the two of them—plus the bike—vanished from the spot.

When Liam opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a grand courtyard. In front of him was a large mansion, its brightly lit exterior glowing in the night.

"What just happened? Was that teleportation? What the heck!" Liam thought, utterly stunned.

"Welcome to my home, which also serves as the Saffron Gym! Leave your bike here; no one will touch it. Dinner's about to start, so hurry up, or my wife and daughter will get impatient," Ander said, clearly enjoying Liam's reaction.

Liam allowed himself to be dragged into the mansion. In the dining room, a table laden with delicious food awaited them. A beautiful woman and a young girl sat at the table, waiting patiently.

The woman stood up when she saw them enter. Smiling warmly at Liam, she added a set of dishes to the table.

Meanwhile, the young girl seemed preoccupied, holding two spoons and staring intently at them.

"Haha, Liam! You're in for a treat tonight—my wife's cooking is unbeatable! Hey, Sabrina, I told you not to play with spoons at the table. You'll break them again!" Ander scolded lightly, reaching out his hand. The spoons vanished from the girl's grip and appeared in his hand.

"Hmm." Sabrina didn't seem fazed and quietly switched to another utensil, digging into her meal.

Liam, however, was frozen in shock. Staring at the solemn little girl, he thought to himself, "No way... This brooding little kid is Sabrina? The future Psychic Queen?"