Ryuuske, who had once used Mewtwo, understood all too well how insidious Psychic-type Pokémon could be. Those psychic powers were nearly imperceptible, and the slightest carelessness could spell life-threatening danger.
[Do you need my help?]
[Not for now. If I rely on you for everything, Mewtwo, then what's the point of my efforts… But be ready. No one can predict how things will unfold. I might still need you to step in and take control, Mewtwo!]
Ryuuske exchanged a thought with Mewtwo in his mindscape. Sabrina seemed to detect the faint psychic ripple, her cold, amethyst-like eyes locking onto him with an unblinking stare.
Ryuuske's eyes flashed with a deep violet light as he met her gaze unflinchingly. Through that eye contact, he confirmed something—unlike him, Sabrina was a true, full-fledged Psychic.
Ryuuske's psychic abilities came entirely from Mewtwo. Mewtwo was the absolute giver, and he was the receiver. But Sabrina's psychic power was shared and fused with her Pokémon, Alakazam. As her Pokémon, Alakazam granted Sabrina greater power, while Sabrina, in turn, imparted human rationality and fine control to Alakazam.
Their psychic synergy was flawless, seamless, and perfectly harmonious. This Psychic-type expert from Saffron City of Kanto might very well be one of a kind in this world.
Ryuuske had once read some tabloid rumors claiming that there was another natural Psychic in the distant Unova region. However, that Psychic was far inferior to Sabrina in terms of mastery—according to those reports, that person had caused numerous disasters and troubles.
"Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader… You're actually a member of Team Rocket!" Misty spat through gritted teeth, her suppressed fury surprising Ryuuske. He had no idea what grudge she held against Team Rocket, but her hatred ran deep.
Sabrina ignored Misty, continuing to stare at Ryuuske instead. Her calm eyes flickered with something resembling surprise—though Ryuuske had no clue what she found surprising.
Being stared at by such a stunningly beautiful woman should have been a pleasant experience, but Ryuuske felt no joy at all. Instead, a chill seeped into his veins, as if his blood had turned icy.
The pain in his body served as a stark reminder—this beauty wasn't here to throw herself into his arms. She was here to kill.
The silent disdain only fueled Misty's rage further. Perhaps it was because they were both women, or perhaps Sabrina's voluptuous figure had triggered some deep-seated insecurity in the less-endowed Misty from the start. But the Cerulean City Gym Leader wasn't so far gone as to lose all reason. She took a deep breath and pressed on, "...How did you know we were hiding there?"
This time, Sabrina finally deigned to respond. "...Your so-called spy was exposed from the beginning. I foresaw your arrival long ago."
Sabrina's voice was as beautiful as her appearance—soft, melodious, yet devoid of warmth, carrying only a frosty chill.
Still leaning lazily against her Alakazam, she crossed her slender legs clad in black stockings and casually tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, a gesture that sent hearts racing.
"Foresaw the future?!" Misty gasped in disbelief. She wasn't talking about a Pokémon move—this was genuine future sight. If someone could really do that, it would be downright unfair!
"It's probably just an extreme sensitivity to danger, like a sixth sense. Sabrina's psychic abilities are so strong that her danger perception far surpasses ordinary people's, to the point where she can predict some details. But it's not actual future sight," Ryuuske reasoned calmly.
Ever since Mewtwo had lent him its psychic power, it was as if the cells within Ryuuske that belonged to Mewtwo had been activated, granting him a strong affinity for psychic energy. He could even sense danger to some extent—though nowhere near as vividly as Sabrina.
"...I knew Sabrina, the Saffron Gym Leader, was a natural Psychic, but I never expected her mastery to be this advanced. She must have set this trap long ago, waiting for us to walk into it. I'm sorry, Ryuuske. My mistake dragged you into danger," Misty said, her usual brattiness gone, replaced by genuine remorse.
"Hey hey, if apologies were enough, we wouldn't need police. And yours isn't even sincere… But whatever. Let's focus on getting out of this mess first. This place might be a death trap, but if all we're up against is Sabrina here, we still have a chance. Besides, Misty, you're a Gym Leader too—what's there to be afraid of?"
(Except you're not as strong as her. In every way possible.) Ryuuske added silently in his mind.
Misty bristled at the first half of his words, but the latter half reignited her fighting spirit.
She had earned everything she had through relentless training and battles. There was no way she'd actually be afraid of Sabrina.
"Finished talking?" Sabrina's cold, melodious voice cut in again. Her shimmering eyes held a haunting, eerie beauty as she floated in the air, aloof and regal like a queen. "...I know why you hate Team Rocket so much, Misty of Cerulean City. It's because of this, isn't it?"
With that, Sabrina tossed a Poké Ball, and out came a Gyarados!
The moment it emerged, the Gyarados thrashed wildly, letting out a shrill, terrifying roar. Its massive body slammed into the surrounding stalactites, shattering them like a frenzied monster, shaking the cavern once more.
Though Gyarados were known for their violent tempers, this one's eyes held no trace of clarity—only pure, unbridled rage, as if it had been cursed into a state of permanent Berserk!
"What did you do to my Gyarados?!" Misty's face lit up with joy at first, and she nearly rushed forward—until she realized the Gyarados didn't even recognize her as its trainer. As it continued its rampage, her expression twisted into sheer fury, and she screamed at Sabrina.
"Biological research isn't my department. I don't know what was done to this Gyarados. Probably injected with some experimental drug or another," Sabrina replied, closing her eyes again as if completely indifferent to the Gyarados' suffering.
Her calm words were like a spark falling into oil—instantly igniting an explosion.
"SA—BRINA—!!!" Misty's voice turned shrill, her rationality utterly shattered by Sabrina's provocation.
Starmie, sensing its trainer's fury, unleashed a devastating Hydro Pump!
The compressed blast of water shot straight through Sabrina's figure, exploding against the cavern ceiling with a deafening boom—leaving a massive crater in its wake. The Sabrina in the air had merely been an illusion. Ryuuske realized then that Misty, driven to madness by the experimentation on her Pokémon, had completely fallen into Sabrina's trap.
This woman might have seemed like an emotionless doll, but she understood human psychology down to the finest detail—terrifyingly intelligent.
Truly, the more beautiful the woman, the more dangerous she is!
To be continued…