"...Gyarados, kill her!"
With Sabrina's clear yet icy command, the Alakazam beside her tightened its grip on its spoons. Its long mustache swayed as it raised one hand toward the frenzied Gyarados.
The massive, rampaging Gyarados, several meters long, paused momentarily. Its previously chaotic and destructive movements slowed as its wild eyes locked onto Misty, unleashing a powerful jet of water from its maw.
"BOOM—"
The water column effortlessly shattered a stone pillar, sending debris crashing loudly to the ground. The cavern descended further into chaos, littered with rubble. In a panic, Misty barely managed to dodge the attack by leaping aside, narrowly avoiding being bisected by the torrent.
Yet her palms and knees were left bleeding. The Gyarados, heedless of restraint, began wildly unleashing attacks. The roar of a tidal wave filled the air—it had summoned an actual surge within the cave!
The crushing waves smashed forward, reducing every obstructing rock to splinters. Since the onslaught was entirely focused on Misty, Ryuuske didn't face immediate danger. Before long, the cavern was flooded, the water rising to knee height.
This Gyarados was undoubtedly worthy of being a Gym Leader's Pokémon—its power was beyond imagination. Had Team Rocket not had their own formidable members, stealing and experimenting on it would have been impossible.
'This idiot!'
Ryuuske glanced at Misty from the corner of his eye. Because the opponent was her own Pokémon, she couldn't bring herself to strike lethally. She only ordered her Starmie to defend against Gyarados' attacks, relying on recovery moves like Recover, and didn't even dare to send out other Pokémon.
Though Ryuuske wanted to charge in and finish off the Gyarados that Misty refused to harm, Sabrina gave him no opportunity, her full attention fixed on him.
Her wariness of him ran even deeper than her caution toward Misty, the Gym Leader. Ryuuske knew Sabrina was deeply wary of Mewtwo.
"Gyarados has lost its mind to rage and won't obey anyone's commands. But that also makes it easy for Alakazam to control with psychic power. Seems Team Rocket investigated Misty thoroughly—you know the source of her hatred for you, and that she'd never kill her own Pokémon. A single Gyarados was enough to keep a Gym Leader like her completely occupied. Was this all part of your plan, Miss Sabrina?"
Ryuuske narrowed his eyes, standing in the knee-deep water, his wariness of Sabrina equally profound.
She was not only powerful and beautiful, but her tactical mind was downright terrifying.
"...It's about time."
Sabrina ignored Ryuuske, simply glancing at her Alakazam. In the next instant, both Misty and Gyarados vanished from the cavern. If not for the lingering water and the rubble-strewn ruins, it would have seemed as if nothing had happened.
"Reverse Teleport—sending Misty and Gyarados away. So your target was me from the very beginning!"
Ryuuske's expression darkened. He wasn't worried about Misty—though she had been battered by Gyarados and seemed incapacitated, her strength ensured she'd survive even a defensive battle. Now, however, he had to face the Saffron City Gym Leader alone—perhaps the world's strongest psychic specialist!
Her mastery of psychic abilities was unparalleled. Even Mewtwo's overwhelming power might falter against some of her techniques!
"...You ruined Boss Giovanni's twenty-year plan. When I foresaw your arrival, I prepared everything."
Sabrina stood sideways on the water's surface, her posture light, her cold profile like a poppy luring one to ruin, yet cloaked in the purity of a snow lotus.
Her features were exquisite, like a rare work of art meant to be savored.
"...You can't escape, Ryuuske—"
Her whisper was like a lover's murmur, sending a shiver down his spine. Ryuuske felt his mind waver—one moment he was facing Sabrina in the cavern, the next, he stood in a small town.
Lush green mountains, bright sunlight, crisscrossing streets, and countless traditional Japanese-style houses filled the gaps on either side. Yet the place was devoid of life, eerily silent, as if Ryuuske and his Gabite were the only living beings there.
"Gabite?"
Ryuuske called out softly. The three-meter-tall dragon nodded at him. Relieved to see his partner still with him, Ryuuske relaxed slightly. As long as he had his Pokémon, there was always a way out.
Mewtwo? Can you hear me?
He reached out mentally but received no response this time.
Looking down, he realized the Master Ball hanging around his neck was gone. Checking his waist, the Poké Ball containing his Dratini was also missing. Unfazed, his mind raced—he quickly deduced where he was.
"No Poké Balls, yet Gabite and I are here. This isn't the same as the reverse Teleport that sent Misty away. We never left the cavern. So this must be... Sabrina's mental world!"
A psychic master like Sabrina, with her Pokémon's help, could easily construct a mental realm. She must have prepared this trap in the cave, dragging Ryuuske into her psychic world to kill him here—bypassing Mewtwo entirely.
Though not a reality-warping Reality Marble, this was still Sabrina's world of the mind.
"Miss Sabrina, I know you can hear me. You can manipulate this world within its rules. So how about we make a deal? I'm not interested in this mental landscape. Why not turn it into an adult world instead? If you're willing to play the heroine and let me be the lead, I'll surrender right now. How about it?"
Ryuuske's tone was teasing. After a long silence, there was no reply.
"Not interested? What a shame. I wasn't even asking for your body—just your mind. No need to be so cold."
As he muttered, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He whirled around to see a petite, adorable little girl standing before him.
The girl was expressionless, her features delicate, her skin pale as snow. A closer look revealed she was a younger version of Sabrina. Smiling innocently at Ryuuske, she asked, "...Big brother, will you play with me?"
"Only if it's an adult game, little sister."
Even as he spoke, Ryuuske leapt onto Gabite's shoulder, keeping a wary eye on her.
To be continued…