Chapter 102: Control' and 'Being Controlled

"Old Ghost, can you interfere with her telekinesis?" Huo La lowered his voice, a hint of urgency in his tone.

"Two against one, I can't afford to lose face." Ghost's voice came through, but then he changed tack, "But this little girl's telekinesis is all focused on her Kadabra; she herself is an empty shell."

Huo La's heart suddenly stirred—right! In his memory of the duel between Ash and Natsume, the key to victory wasn't Ash himself, but that Gengar.

Gengar could make Natsume laugh and lose her composure with its antics, essentially because her telekinesis was entirely poured into Kadabra, leaving an opening for a sneak attack.

His eyes flashed, and he suddenly grinned, shouting sharply at the Beedrill hovering in midair: "Beedrill, charge at full force! Target the high platform—use Double Needle on the doll in Natsume's arms!"

These words were like a stone thrown into an icy lake; Natsume's expression changed drastically, and a flicker of panic finally appeared in her always-cold eyes: "How dare you! Kadabra, Psychic!"

The spoon in Kadabra's hand instantly flared with blinding white light, and the invisible psychic force surged like a towering wave, carrying an overwhelming momentum as it slammed toward Beedrill, trying to intercept it mid-flight.

"Now! Beedrill, turn back and ascend! Use Agility, lock onto Kadabra's spoon, and throw Sludge Bomb with full force!" Huo La's commands were seamlessly linked.

Beedrill suddenly flapped its wings and soared upward, twisting its body with sheer force, its wings turning into blurry afterimages as it dove down at extreme speed.

At the same time, it crossed its stingers, and a clump of foul-smelling purple sludge coalesced, smashing precisely onto the spoon tightly gripped in Kadabra's hand.

The viscous sludge instantly coated the spoon's shaft, and Kadabra's body trembled violently.

"Now! Cross Cut! Aim for its abdomen!"

Beedrill's stingers gleamed with a cold light, carrying a sharp whistling sound as they pierced deeply into Kadabra's soft, unguarded belly.

"Buzz—!" Kadabra let out a sharp cry of pain, the spoon in its hand clattering to the ground with a 'clang,' and its body fell heavily backward, completely losing its battle ability.

The red light in Natsume's eyes on the high platform faded instantly, and the doll in her arms fell to the ground with a 'thud.'

She clutched her chest, gasping heavily, her face pale as paper, staring incredulously at the fallen Kadabra, her fingertips still trembling slightly.

Huo La let out a long breath, his tense shoulders finally relaxing—he had bet correctly.

The psychic link brought the advantage of 'Mind Sync,' but it also hid a fatal flaw: the pain the Pokemon endured, the Trainer would feel as their own.

And that doll was Natsume's spiritual anchor; attacking it would inevitably distract her, and then by destroying Kadabra's 'Power Medium'—the spoon—victory became a foregone conclusion.

"You lost!" Huo La's voice was cold and firm, "According to our agreement, release those 'dolls.'"

"What if I say no!" Natsume picked up the doll from the ground, her fingers gripping the fabric tightly, her voice laced with chill.

"That's fine too." Huo La spread his hands, his tone somewhat nonchalant, "If you want everyone to know that you, Natsume, are a fickle woman, I have no objection."

"You!" A trace of anger finally surfaced on Natsume's usually frozen face, a harsh glint flashing in her purple eyes, her chest heaving slightly.

This flicker of anger, seen by Huo La, secretly made him breathe a sigh of relief—she still had emotions.

Years of closed psychic training had made Natsume deliberately suppress her joys and sorrows, but those emotions had never truly disappeared; they were just hidden deep in her heart.

As long as he could break through this layer of ice, she could still be 'saved.'

Natsume shot him a fierce glare, then finally waved her hand impatiently.

With her movement, the 'dolls' that were on the display racks suddenly appeared at the Gym entrance out of thin air, though they were still trapped in slumber.

"They're already outside. You can go. I don't want to see you again."

"No rush." Huo La didn't move, instead pulling a sealed folder from his backpack and shaking it lightly in his hand, "I still have something to give you."

"Hm?" Natsume raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of vigilance.

"Although you lost this challenge, I am still a member of the Rocket Team." Huo La placed the folder on the ground, his tone sincere, "Based on my research on Ancient Pokemon, this data should have been contributed to the organization anyway, consider it a token of my loyalty. I wonder if Miss Natsume would be willing to hand it over to Banmu Laoda for me?"

Natsume's gaze was instantly drawn to the folder, and her breathing unconsciously quickened: "You... want to give me the method to control Mewtwo?"

She didn't even notice the undisguised surprise in her own voice, and even her fingers holding the doll loosened a bit.

"Let me correct you." Huo La shook his head with a smile, "It's not a method of 'control'—if I really had such means, I would have done it myself long ago, why give it to you? Inside is the 'Resonance Method' I've researched."

"Resonance?" Natsume frowned, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

"Yes, Resonance, or rather, Empathy." Huo La tapped the folder with his fingertip and explained patiently, "Although Mewtwo is an artificially created Pokemon, its genes originate from Mew—and what Mew excels at most is sensing the emotions of living beings."

"You've always been thinking about 'controlling' it, which essentially means opposing its psychic power, so naturally it rejects you. But if you try to empathize, to sense its loneliness and confusion, you might be able to establish a mental connection."

He paused, then added, "This is just my theoretical speculation; it may not be useful. But compared to forceful suppression, it might be a more feasible path. After all, no matter how great the power, it can't match 'understanding.'"

Natsume stared at the folder on the ground for a long time, a complex mix of emotions churning in her purple eyes—doubt, anticipation, and a hint of loosening she herself hadn't noticed.

Finally, she raised her hand in a gesture, and Kadabra struggled to its feet, using Telekinesis to roll up the folder and hand it to her.

The moment her fingertips touched the folder, Natsume's voice was as light as a breeze: "I'll hand it over to Banmu Laoda. You... can leave."

Seeing this, Huo La knew his goal was achieved, and raised his hand: "What about my reward for winning the battle?"

Natsume made no move, but a Badge and a Skill Machine appeared out of thin air before his eyes.

He took the items, turned, and walked toward the door, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth—not only had he obtained the Badge and rescued the people, but he had also planted the seeds to sway Natsume. This trip to the Golden Gym could be considered perfect.

As he reached the door, he heard Natsume's very low voice behind him, as if she were talking to herself: "Empathy... huh?"

Huo La didn't look back; he pushed open the door and stepped into the sunlight.

The Ghost in his sleeve let out a snicker: "Kid, you're a member of the Rocket Team yourself, and you're thinking of subverting someone from the Rocket Team? Quite bold."

"I'm just giving her a choice." Huo La looked at the distant sky, his tone light, "After all, no one wants to live forever in 'control' and 'being controlled,' right?"