The woman stood with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed, her face expressionless like a delicate, emotionless doll. The Team Rocket uniform she wore was tightly fitted, and only the exposed part of her neck revealed skin as pale as snow. Her bloodless red lips were gently pressed together, with a hint of coldness.
Though she was icy as frost, she exuded an intense, alluring feminine charm. Logan, who stood at an opening above the cave, felt his heart skip a beat the moment he laid eyes on her—his gaze filled with awe.
Although he quickly regained composure, it was inevitable for a man's thoughts to stray when faced with such a breathtaking woman.
Especially when—
He stole a glance at Misty standing beside him, her expression serious. Compared to the generous curves of the Golden Gym Leader standing below, Misty… really couldn't compete. It confirmed his belief: cold, aloof beauties like her were truly the best!
"Lady Sabrina, based on the intel provided by the Boss, we've investigated many corners of Mt. Moon, but we haven't found any signs of Machop. Our instruments also confirmed that this isn't caused by tectonic activity. If we want a full report, we'll need much more time for investigation."
A Team Rocket member, having finished discussing with others in front of a device, hurried over to report to Sabrina. A flicker of admiration passed through his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head respectfully—this woman wasn't just anyone. She was one of the top three executives in Team Rocket, second only to the elusive Boss, and also the leader of the Saffron Gym.
Many Team Rocket members deeply respected their mysterious Boss. Even a Gym Leader like Sabrina had been recruited—what kind of charisma did he possess?!
"No need to investigate further. If it's not a natural cause, it must be man-made. Report this to the Boss—he will make the judgment."
Sabrina's thin, pale lips didn't move, but her cold, mechanical voice echoed directly in the minds of the Rocket members. This was her unique ability—telepathy. She didn't even need to speak to convey her will.
"Now, take the others and leave."
"Lady Sabrina?!"
The Rocket member was confused by her command. He glanced up but quickly looked down again and responded, "...Yes, Lady Sabrina. I'll lead the team out now!"
Even if he didn't understand, he dared not disobey.
He gave a quick signal to the others still analyzing data. One by one, the Rocket members filed out through various tunnels, leaving the massive cave.
Soon, only Sabrina and her Alakazam remained. The sound of water droplets echoed as they splashed into a nearby pool, keeping the silence from becoming oppressive.
"Heh. Looks like we've caught a big fish."
Sabrina's lips parted slightly as she turned her head sharply toward a certain direction. Her eyes suddenly opened, glowing faintly with an eerie violet light—just like when Logan activated Mewtwo's psychic powers.
"Alakazam, Illusion Technique!"
The spoons in Alakazam's hands flashed. The air began to ripple and thicken. A streak of invisible psychic force, unseen to the naked eye, shot out like an unstoppable beam toward an opening high on the cave wall!
"Watch out!"
"Look out!"
Logan and Misty warned each other simultaneously. Their expressions changed as they quickly ordered their Pokémon to prepare defenses. The psychic beam hit the cave opening in an instant—like butter meeting a hot knife, the rock wall melted into dust. The terrifying impact made Logan feel as though a metal ball had smashed into him. He grunted and was thrown hard into the wall behind him.
Gabite let out a low growl of pain as the invisible psychic force pinned its strong body against the mountain wall, causing cracks to spread across the rock behind it.
Misty was in a similar state. Neither had expected such a sudden ambush—they were caught completely off guard and looked rather disheveled.
"Tch—"
Logan sucked in a sharp breath, his whole body aching as if it had fallen apart. Scratches marked his back and limbs. If Gabite hadn't helped offset the Illusion Technique's force with its protective energy, that attack could've been fatal!
Even so, the sheer pressure of that psychic strike, like being smashed by an iron ball, left Logan in agony.
That Alakazam was clearly Sabrina's ace—possibly her strongest Pokémon. A casual strike melted solid rock!
"I underestimated her. Can't believe we were exposed!"
Logan gritted his teeth and glanced at Misty. She too hadn't anticipated the sudden attack. Blood streaked across her fair skin in thin, crisscrossing lines. Her face was dusty and scratched—it was a total mess.
Just then, Logan's senses screamed in alarm. He quickly looked back toward the cave's opening. Sabrina and her Alakazam were now floating in midair just outside the entrance. That doll-like, cold beauty remained with her arms crossed, leaning against Alakazam like it was a wall. She looked sideways at them with emotionless eyes, one long leg slightly bent, making her appear even more dangerously seductive.
But Logan no longer felt any awe—only danger.
Sure enough, psychic energy surged again. This time, the force howled like a typhoon, screeching through the air. It was suffocating. Cracks spidered along the cave floor and ceiling. Sabrina intended to collapse the cave with her psychic power—burying them alive!
"Gabite, Dragon Pulse!"
"Starmie, Swift! Go!"
Logan and Misty had recovered by now. One was a Gym Leader from Cerulean, and the other had survived countless life-or-death encounters in the wild. While they had been stunned at first, they weren't going to let Sabrina attack unchallenged again.
A barrage of star-shaped energy blasted from Starmie's limbs, flying faster than the psychic pressure. For the first time, Sabrina's cold mask cracked—she leaned back slightly, placing Alakazam in front of her.
The Swift stars slashed through the air, peppering Alakazam with cuts and tearing Sabrina's uniform in several spots, revealing glimpses of skin as pale and flawless as porcelain.
The stars didn't stop there. They embedded deep into the cave ceiling, slicing into stone like blades through cake.
The barrage interrupted Alakazam's charge. Its psychic energy collided with Gabite's Dragon Pulse in a muffled explosion—and the cave finally gave way, starting to collapse.
Logan leapt onto Gabite's back. With its bladed arms shielding them, Gabite charged forward and jumped from the high ledge. It landed safely in the wider part of the cave below.
Misty followed, riding Starmie down to Logan's side. Both stared ahead, faces grim.
Somehow, Sabrina and Alakazam had already vanished from the sky and now hovered silently before them. She was still levitating, half a meter off the ground, standing as if walking on air. That emotionless, icy gaze locked onto them—like a judge waiting to deliver a verdict.
They had stopped her relentless barrage—but the danger wasn't over yet.
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