I'm Running Even If I Don't Want To.

Chapter 32

Sabrina descended into Liko's mind once again, but this time she focused all of her energy on the Teal Shadows feeling where their power was directed...

The images that flashed before Sabrina's eyes were exactly as Liko described the first meeting with Spinel, the nightmares, when he would whisper in her mind, but all of the power behind them was geared toward Liko's already high emotions directly after Sabrina left her mind...

Spinel caused her to panic on purpose and run out of the room and away from us to where he could grab her... Sabrina thought to herself. Her anger was rising and threatening to spill into her powers; instead, she drew upon some of the most soothing memories she could find in Liko's mind to combat Spinel's fear-mongering.

Many of Liko's memories from her younger years were of her grandmother when she would come to visit or when she would call her on her mother's phone. The rest of the memories from her younger years were of Liko playing with Fidough or drawing by the lit fireplace as snow fell. The more recent memories were of the Rising Volt Tacklers... Battling alongside Roy and Dot, doing the dishes with Murdock, taking in the silent moments with Ludlow on the bow, restocking in the infirmary with Mollie, watching Orla make upgrades, and helping her with the easier stuff, and watching Cap and Friede aspiring to be like them with Sprigatito and Impidimp...

Sabrina felt the oppressive fear slowly melt away, and the Teal Shadows shrink back, giving Liko even more relief from Spinel's influence. Sabrina slowly withdrew her power, and to her relief, the fear didn't return, drowning out all other emotions and feelings once again. With that in mind, Sabrina fully exited Liko's mind with a deep breath...

Liko jumped like she always does when Sabrina uses her powers, but she didn't feel the bone-deep need to run away, so she just went limp against Sabrina's shoulder like a ragdoll. If she weren't so completely drained, she would have freaked out, but Sabrina was warm and safe, so she just followed the subconscious need to seek comfort.

Sabrina started to thread her fingers through Liko's hair and hum her old lullaby again since it seemed to work earlier, and Liko ragdolled more into her arm. Gladion glanced between the two with a raised eyebrow at Sabrina, asking hr silently to explain.

"Spinel was manipulating her emotions using the short window of time when I leave her mind because in that moment and for a while after, Liko is at her most vulnerable.... Where her emotions are at their highest, allowing him to magnify her fear, overriding every single impulse, thought, and emotion." Sabrina answered, and Liko nodded against her arm at that breakdown because it made sense to her despite being half asleep. Gladion had a myriad of emotions flicker across his face: mortification, anger, determination, and finally understanding.

"That's why you suggest the Rising Volt Tacklers be here before you started the actual process of getting rid of Spinel..." Gladion whispered, and Sabrina sighed just a bit before nodding, still threading her fingers through Liko's hair even though Liko had fallen asleep.

"Yes, along with the fact that having people you trust and know around you naturally puts your mind at ease... At least they're on the way now." Sabrina said with a smile. Gladion nodded at the statement, but he grimaced at the same time, causing Sabrina to raise an eyebrow at him.

"It's going to be hard for her when they do show up, Arceus knows it was hard for me to see Lillie again and explain why I did what I did," Gladion explained. Sabrina just started humming again, resigning herself to the fact that she and Gladion would be stuck on the floor till Liko wakes up....

Dot's POV

"Pika-pi!" Cap cried, flicking his tail in the direction of the map and pointing at Nosepass to alert me that we had drifted off course ever so slightly yet again. We were heading toward the west this time instead of south, like we're supposed to be, so I had to steer back toward south again.