My Little Pokemon Silver Spoon Version

In retrospect, Ash taking Haunter to a big gym battle right after catching him might have been a mistake. Haunter liked to blink in and out of visibility, but we’d learned on the walk back to Saffron city that he was always nearby and ready to jump out to scare you. We didn’t think anything of it when he went invisible before we entered the gym.

Sabrina seemed surprised to see us return. The little girl doll seemed happy. Ash challenged her to a rematch then called out Haunter and…

Haunter didn’t show.

“He’d better come back and save us.” Misty fumed. I was sitting across the coffee table on the love seat, she, Brock and Weiss were on the couch. A fourth doll of an older woman sat in the armchair at the end of the coffee table.

“He will. You know Ash. He’ll figure something out.” Brock reassured her.

We were sitting in a little room. The only furniture was the love seat, couch, armchair, and coffee table. A few bland paintings hung on the wall behind Brock and Misty but they were so flat and one dimensional I suspected they were actually stickers.

Instead of shrinking us to doll size Sabrina had instead turned us into actual dolls. You’d think being made of plastic and cotton fluff would make it impossible to have a headache.

“I did not sign up for this.” Weiss deadpanned.

“I am so sorry for my daughter’s actions.” The older woman apologized again.

This was Sabrina’s mother, turned into a doll years ago. She explained the whole story to us.

Both of her parents were psychics, Sabrina’s father could teleport while her mother was a telepath. Their daughter Sabrina was three when she began manifesting her powers and it was quickly revealed that she was much stronger than either of her parents.

“She grew obsessed with her newfound power, abandoning toys and dolls in favor of finding new applications for her abilities.” She told us sadly. “We tried to help her, turn her interest to other things, but Sabrina eventually decided we were only holding her back. My husband got away but teleportation was never my gift. He comes back to visit me every day, but he has to be careful not to let Sabrina catch him. He can’t transmute so if she transforms him he’ll be just as trapped as me.” She continued.

“What about the doll? What part does it play?” Brock asked.

“That doll is actually a phantom hosting a split personality of Sabrina’s, specifically, the personality of herself before her powers began to overwhelm her. Happy, eager to make friends,” She sighed. She might’ve slumped if she was able to move. “That doll holds all her emotions, leaving only the cold, logical side of her mind in her body to control her actions.”

“That’s…frightening.” I tried to gulp. Lacking every bit of muscle control necessary, I failed.

“Oh, after a week or two she’ll get bored with playing with you three and she’ll turn you back to normal! She may erase your memory of what happened though.” She reassured us.

Above us, the roof came off the dollhouse. Sabrina and her doll looked inside.

“Sabrina!” I’d never been so happy to hear Ash’s voice. “We’re gonna battle and you’re gonna let my friends go!”

“I knew he'd be back.” Sabrina commented to herself. She replaced the roof of the dollhouse, all but cutting us off from the outside world.

“Think Ash can win this?” Misty asked, voice quavering. It made the plastic perfection of her smile creepier somehow.

“He can. He’ll win this.” I tried to interject as much confidence as I could into this statement. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. I did believe Ash could win this.

All we had to do was wait for it.

The big toy box and doll house were actually behind the curtain at the far end where we’d first seen Sabrina sitting on her throne. I got a pretty good look as we were being carried here.

We could hear the fight, mostly, but it was hard to make sense out of. It sounded like Pikachu was fighting. Could he not find Haunter?

“How do you think it’s going?” Misty asked. We could hear something going on out there but it didn’t sound like a battle.

A sudden explosion caught us off guard. We would’ve jumped if we could move. There was a beat of silence afterwards in which we had time to fear the worst, then we felt it when Sabrina changed us back.

Oh it felt so good to have my body again. I bent to touch my toes at the first opportunity, luxuriating in the stretch of my muscles. Contrary to how I’d felt after the astral projection thing my body now felt energized, unstoppable! I wanted to run a mile! Climb a mountain!

“My, that feels nice.” Sabrina’s mother sighed, stretching her arms above her head. Years trapped as a doll, all that time unable to move must’ve been like torture!

“Hey, look at that!” Misty brought our attention to Sabrina. She was laughing, no doll in sight, covered in soot and with tears in the corners of her eyes. Haunter was floating beside her, eyes bugging out of his head as he laughed right alongside her. Kadabra was rolling on the floor of the arena, utterly helpless with their bond as strong as it was. Sabrina’s father, Ash, and Pikachu were all standing at the other end of the arena, smiling and laughing too.

“Did we miss something?” I wondered.

Sabrina’s laughing was apparently the key for reuniting her emotions with her body. Ash gave Haunter to her, figuring they’d both be happier that way. Ash got his Marsh Badge and we left Weiss behind to challenge Sabrina’s father, who would be taking over Sabrina’s role as gym leader. I…honestly did not like the gleam in her eyes when Sabrina’s father accepted the challenge. In the meantime, we left for the Pokemon Center for some well earned rest.

“This has, by far, been the strangest three days of my life.” Misty flopped down on her bed, freshly showered and dressed in her pajamas.

“Stranger than a giant Tentacruel tearing apart a resort?” Brock asked. He was still toweling off his hair.

“The Tentacruel didn’t turn me into a doll!” She puffed out her cheeks. “What about you, Sarah? Do you think the past couple of days have been the strangest?”

“Hm.” I gave the matter some serious thought.

Without a doubt it was a yes. Astral projection and being turned into a doll were not things that happened on nice, boring days.

“Yeah, it’s been…lively, hasn’t it?” I chuckled sardonically. “I’m glad Sabrina’s taking a break from being a gym leader to get a better handle on her emotions though.”

“Yeah. You know, something about that bugs me.” Misty rolled over to frown at us.

“Huh? What does?” Ash was laying on the top bunk of the boys’ bed. Pikachu was dozing off on his stomach.

“Sabrina’s been the gym leader for four, almost five years, right?” We nodded. “And that whole time whenever someone lost to her she turned them into a doll for a few weeks?” Another, more uncomfortable, nod.

“So how come no one reported it to the Pokemon League?” She asked.

“Her mom already told us. Sabrina erases her victims’ memories.” Weiss told us from her position by the door frame. Her match with Sabrina’s father was surprisingly a quick one with her earning the Marsh badge. “After erasing the memories Sabrina could put a compulsion on them to not think about the time they were missing, and to not come back to Saffron city.”

“Man, psychics are kinda scary when you think of it like that.” Ash pulled himself closer to the edge of the bed.

“Yeah.” I swallowed anxiously. “I never want my memories erased. Ever.”

“Me neither. That just feels so sketchy!” Misty stuck out her tongue.

“Well, it’s all over now. No one else is getting turned into a doll ever again.” Brock heaved a weary sigh. “I say we get some sleep, do some shopping tomorrow, and head straight to the next city.”

“Oh yeah!” Ash perked up. “Where is the next nearest gym anyway?”

“Celadon city, the gym there awards the Rainbow Badge.” Brock informed him.

“Celadon, huh.” That actually reminded me of something.

“Sarah?” Ash looked at me in concern.

“I was just thinking. Wasn’t Flora heading to Celadon city after we boarded the St. Anne?”

“That’s right! Flora was going to hang around there.” Misty sat up on her bed.

“Do you think she went to the gym there!?” Ash nearly fell out of his bed in a rush. “And won herself another badge?”

“Maybe.” Brock hummed thoughtfully, looking between me and Weiss.

“She did, by the time we got to Porta Vista.” Weiss confirmed. “She told me the night we were…watching for Brock’s maiden.” She finished, relishing in Brock’s shudder.

“Maybe we’ll see her before we get to the gym.” Misty jumped in. “We can ask her a bunch of questions about the gym there.”

“Hmp, like I need help taking on the gym there.” Ash crossed his arms in displeasure.

“I wouldn’t mind just seeing her again.” I decided.

“Then it’s settled! Celadon city, here we come!” Brock nodded.

We turned in shortly after that.

“Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to go through any trouble.”

“You? Trouble? Never! Not a single thing will make me miss our teatime. Not changelings, not parasprites nor ancient magic-draining conquerors. Woe for the poor fool that dares to try to keep the Spirit of Disharmony from spending time with his best friend.''

Knock knock knock

“Oh dear, that sounds serious.” Fluttershy got up from her couch and walked toward the door. “Could you give me just a second?”

“Of course, take your time.” Discord waved her off with an eye twitch.

Knock knock knock

“Yes?” Opening the door, Fluttershy saw a filly wearing a tiara.

“Is Discord here?”