Chapter 100: How to Control Mewtwo

The man's shoulders sagged in an almost untraceable way, his fatigue even deeper; he stared at the distant Gym's gate, his voice full of helplessness: "It was her own choice... back then her Psychic suddenly went out of control, and I almost got turned into a doll by her."

Later a man in a black suit found her, saying he could help her "master her power" and give her a "position no one dares defy", so she went with him... By the time I realized it, she had already become a member of the Rocket Team.

And then... she used the Rocket Team's connections and that Psychic power to become the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City. Natsume's father lowered his eyes, his voice full of bitterness, his fingers unconsciously gripping the sleeve of his tracksuit, "But she has also become exactly like this now—cold, with only power in her eyes, not a trace of humanity."

Huo La's fingertips paused, he looked up at him: "So you're not a member of the Rocket Team?"

"Of course I'm not!" the man shouted, raising his voice sharply, his tone full of strong repulsion, "The people I hate most in this life are those who manipulate others! If it weren't for being unable to overcome Natsume's Psychic, I would have pulled her back from that crooked path long ago!"

"Oh~" Huo La elongated his tone, and the thread in his mind cleared instantly.

That man in the black suit was, ten to eight chances, the Rocket Team leader Sakaki. Natsume's current status is probably not only due to her Psychic, but also because Sakaki himself personally "discovered" her and brought her back.

Sakaki values Natsume so highly, most likely because of Mewtwo.

Mewtwo, as an artificially created Psychic-type Pokemon, possesses great power but is extremely hard to control, and Natsume is born with top-tier Psychic ability; perhaps from the start, Sakaki treated her as a potential "Mewtwo controller" to cultivate.

Understanding this layer gave Huo La more confidence. To deal with Natsume, brute force won't work; one must attack her "soft spot" or, rather, her "obsession".

He stood up, brushed dust off his trousers, and addressed the still self-reproaching man: "Alright, uncle, I roughly understand the situation. Give me some time, and I'll find a way to solve it— not only to obtain the Gym Badge, but perhaps also to make Natsume a bit more 'clear-headed.'"

Natsume's father jerked his head up, eyes full of disbelief: "You... you really can do it? But her Psychic..."

"Don't worry, I have a way." Huo La gave no further explanation, merely pointing to the Rocket Team Badge on his chest, "With this, she'll at least give me a chance to talk."

Having said that, he didn't linger, turning toward the Golden Gym's gate.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows behind him, while the Gastly hidden within his body emitted a low snicker, its eyes flashing a hint of anticipation: "Little brat, you don't really plan to bluff that crazy girl with a busted badge, do you?"

Huo La's mouth curled into a faint smile, responding in a voice only he and Gastly could hear: "Of course not—but at least this badge lets us enter the Gym with dignity. From now on, my safety is entirely up to you, Old Ghost."

"Leave it to me... heh heh heh... but you can rest assured, that person just now doesn't seem likely to cause you trouble."

"Natsume's father, huh... fine, having more people 'help', so I don't end up getting tangled myself. Let's go, meet that 'Psychic Gym Leader.'"

As soon as the words finished, he lifted his hand and pushed open the Gym's doors.

A bone‑piercing cold aura instantly slammed into his face, a world apart from the bright sunshine outside.

Inside the Golden Gym's hall, the light was dim, only a few wall lamps emitting faint halos, stretching the surrounding shadows into long strips; the air was suffused with a subtle, oppressive sense of Inner Focus.

At the very center of the high platform, a figure sat upright— a woman dressed in a bright red coat, her deep‑green long hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, the ends slightly curled.

She clutched tightly in her arms a porcelain doll wearing a lace‑trimmed hat, her fingers gently stroking the doll's hem; a pair of cold, colorless purple eyes stared rigidly at the doorway, scanning Huo La's entire body before finally fixing on the black "R" badge on his chest.

"A Rocket Team member?" Natsume's voice showed no inflection, like a block of ice dropped into a cold pool, even the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment, "Did Sakaki send you?"

The doll in her arms swayed gently with her movement, the hat brim perfectly covering its "face," yet an inexplicable eerie dissonance emanated—Huo La could even vaguely sense that the doll's "gaze" seemed to fall upon him as well.

Gastly let out an extremely faint snicker, audible only to Huo La: "This little girl's Inner Focus is stronger than I thought; even the doll has been imbued with her Telekinesis."

Huo La didn't answer immediately, merely taking slow steps into the hall, then closing the Gym doors behind him.

He met Natsume's gaze, lightly tapping his chest badge with his fingertip, his tone calm: "I came here first for the Gym Badge, second to discuss a deal with you."

"Deal?" Natsume raised an eyebrow, the doll in her arms tilting its head slightly, "Do you think you have the right to negotiate a deal with me?"

Before the words finished, an invisible pressure surged from all directions, the floor tiles beneath Huo La even trembling slightly—Telekinesis.

But he was prepared; Gastly silently released a faint Ghost Aura, wrapping his body like a thin veil.

That oppressive feeling stalled instantly, then vanished without a trace.

Natsume's eyes finally flickered: "You have... a Ghost Aura."

Huo La spread his arms, meeting Natsume's probing gaze, his tone candid: "I'm here to challenge for the Gym Badge—according to League rules, as Gym Leader you cannot refuse a legitimate challenge, right?"

The doll in Natsume's arms swayed gently; after a moment of silence, her pale lips barely opened: "Fine."

"Since you accept the challenge, let's discuss the deal." Huo La seized the moment, his gaze sweeping over the shelf in the platform corner filled with dolls—two familiar figures stood out, none other than the transformed dolls Xiao Gang and Lilian.

"If I win, besides giving me the badge, you must immediately release everyone turned into a 'doll.'"

"What if you lose?" Natsume interrupted, a cold teasing glint in her purple eyes, "Want to become a doll too?"

"If I lose, you turn me into a doll." Huo La said plainly; as soon as the words left his mouth, he added as if recalling something, "Of course, provided you can actually do it."

Natsume's fingertip paused on the doll's hat brim, her tone flat yet undeniably firm: "That's not enough. Moreover, your Ghost Aura is too strong; my Telekinesis cannot fully corrupt your spirit—so you can't become a doll."

Those words matched Huo La's intentions; he silently exhaled in relief, his face unchanged, then abruptly shifted tone: "Then let's change the wager. If I lose, I'll teach you how to truly control Mewtwo."