She had once dragged him into the psychic world with the intent to kill. He, in turn, had once toyed with her mercilessly in that world, equally intent on her destruction. In the end, both Ryuuske and Sabrina had escaped that deadly realm in their own ways.
No one could say anything. No one owed anyone. A perfect equilibrium.
Ryuuske wasn't sure how Sabrina felt about him now. Perhaps she hated him to the bone, wanted him ground to dust. But now wasn't the right time to fight her.
In fact, among all the Gym Leaders in Kanto, Sabrina's strength was second only to Giovanni's. She was fully capable of going toe-to-toe with the Elite Four. She might not be a match for Lance or the enigmatic Agatha, but against Lorelei or Bruno, the outcome was far from certain.
If Sabrina fought Ryuuske at full strength from the outset, even with Mewtwo, the severe side effects would prevent Ryuuske from sustaining a prolonged battle. And Sabrina, as a master of psychic abilities, could counter Mewtwo's Teleport. If the battle dragged on, Ryuuske's defeat would be inevitable.
In all of Kanto, even facing Lance didn't faze Ryuuske. The only person he truly didn't want to confront right now was this ultimate psychic expert—because she understood psychic power far too well.
Too clever by half, and it's your own life you lose. That was the perfect description of Sabrina.
She hadn't lost her life, but she had lost something even more precious.
Ryuuske knew an enraged woman was beyond reason. Right now, he had no desire for a direct confrontation. But fate had other plans. Just as Ryuuske was riding Gabite through a tunnel at high speed, that breathtaking figure appeared before him once more.
Still floating in the air with Alakazam, arms crossed, her cold beauty like that of a haughty queen. The only difference was in her eyes—once lifeless and dull, now burning with vivid fury. Her chest heaved dramatically, and her fair skin was tinged with a furious red.
Ryuuske sighed. It seemed there was no avoiding this. Leaving without consequences was impossible.
But he felt no fear. On the contrary, his blood was boiling, his will unshaken. Even if the path ahead was thorny, he would march forward, stepping over corpses if necessary!
"Well, well. Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Sabrina. I thought you'd be busy reminiscing about the memories I left you."
Ryuuske's tone was playful, but his focus was razor-sharp.
"Shut up, you silver-tongued brat. You're not getting away!"
Sabrina's voice was icy, each word like a frozen pearl clattering onto a jade plate—a biting winter wind that froze the blood.
"Not getting away? We'll see about that."
Ryuuske smirked. Without any command, Gabite understood his intent. The massive dragon pivoted and lunged forward, its speed allowing it to cover dozens of meters in an instant. But with a loud thud, Gabite roared in pain—it had crashed into an invisible wall.
"Hmm?"
Ryuuske reached out and touched the air in front of him. An inexplicable barrier had formed, as if the very atmosphere had been compressed and infused with psychic energy, making it incredibly sturdy. Ryuuske estimated that breaking through would be difficult.
Turning back to Sabrina, he saw her still floating there expressionlessly, though a faint sneer played on her lips. Beside her, in addition to Alakazam, a Mr. Mime had appeared at some point. The Mr. Mime's hand was outstretched toward Ryuuske—this barrier was its doing.
"I see. So your specialty is confinement, Sabrina. Whether it's trapping minds with Alakazam or physically restraining opponents with Mr. Mime, your goal is to lock them in a cage and let despair consume them."
Ryuuske narrowed his eyes, studying Sabrina anew before nodding in realization.
"No wonder even Mewtwo had so much trouble establishing a psychic link with me earlier. You must've sent your other Pokémon out beforehand to interfere. Right now, you only have Alakazam and Mr. Mime with you. Even if they're the strongest of your team, do you really think just these two are enough to beat me?"
"You're underestimating a Gym Leader's strength. That little girl from Cerulean City isn't a valid benchmark—among Gym Leaders, she's one of the weakest."
Sabrina's voice was frosty, her demeanor like a statue carved from ice—a being from a frozen northern wasteland, her words the howling of a blizzard.
"Looks like there's no talking our way out of this one..."
Ryuuske sighed, as if resigned, but in the same motion, he plucked the Master Ball from his chest.
Standing on Gabite's shoulder in the narrow tunnel, he met Sabrina's gaze at eye level. A faint purple glow flickered in his eyes as six Poké Balls materialized in his hand. Like a circus magician, he used his psychic power to make the balls orbit around him, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone:
"...This is reckless, Sabrina. In your current agitated state, you're in no condition to fight. Chasing me with only two Pokémon, leaving the other four unrecovered—your lack of composure will be your downfall. So... care for another game? A psychic magic show!"
Ryuuske deliberately emphasized the word game, needling Sabrina further. She knew exactly what he was doing, but she couldn't suppress her rage. She knew this was irrational, but the humiliation was eating her alive—if she didn't pursue Ryuuske now, she feared she'd lose her mind entirely.
"Don't make such a twisted face, Sabrina. The cold, unapproachable goddess suits you better. That stubborn, expressionless demeanor, like a jade carving—it's downright irresistible."
Ryuuske chuckled darkly. Around him, a sandstorm began to swirl, its mournful wails echoing through the cavern like the cries of ghosts. The sand grew thicker, obscuring vision, and soon, Ryuuske and Gabite vanished within it.
"Petty tricks. Psychics don't rely on their eyes to see!"
Sabrina's ice-sculpture beauty twisted into a sneer. Beside her, Alakazam raised its hand, summoning a spoon from the void. Sabrina grasped it, and as the spoon bent, it pointed unerringly toward victory.
This was Sabrina's unique psychic power—the Spoon of Destiny!
To be continued…