Logan and Sabrina were careful not to let the muddy terrain stain their shoes. Logan strolled calmly, floating a few inches above the ground using psychic power, while Sabrina sat side-saddle atop her Dragonair, slowing her pace to match Logan's as they headed toward Lavender Town.
Along the way, Logan tried chatting with Sabrina, bringing up several topics. But she barely acknowledged him. Arms crossed, face cold, she let him speak all he wanted—without responding once.
Logan only shrugged at her coldness, not bothered in the slightest. If anything, her silence confirmed she was trying to suppress emotions—worried that engaging with him might disturb her mental balance. He found that amusing.
As they neared Lavender Town, the endless graveyards that blanketed the path slowly thinned out. A few pedestrians could be seen braving the storm, hurrying along in the rain. Lightning cut across the sky, briefly illuminating the misty silhouettes of what might've been bats in flight.
Lavender Town lived up to its name—its signature color was everywhere—but it wasn't the regal kind of purple. No, it was the eerie, lifeless sort. Quiet. Haunted.
Upon entering, the town gave off a strange, still energy. There were no tall buildings like in modern cities. All except for one massive tower that stood above everything—visible from every angle—the rest of the buildings were no taller than two stories. Even the townsfolk walked with heads down, not saying a word, barely glancing at the two obvious outsiders.
"They say it's foggy here even when it's not raining," Logan muttered. "Population-wise, this place should be packed… but it feels like a ghost town. You'd grow up looking like a corpse too if you were born here."
Clicking his tongue, Logan scanned the lifeless streets. Lavender looked like a murder scene out of a horror story. Only a few dingy shops and barely-open stalls suggested this place might be livable at all.
Sabrina gave him a sharp look—clearly offended.
Logan blinked. "Wait—I didn't mean you look like a corpse, Miss Sabrina. Don't take it personally."
Sabrina looked away, unwilling to even dignify that with a response. If she were still able to kill him without consequence, she probably would've torn him to pieces and buried him right there on the spot.
Just then, an eerie voice cut through the air from behind them.
"Hehehe… the people of Lavender aren't always so cold," came the voice of an old woman. "In the past, you'd see children playing in the streets. But ever since last month, when several people went missing… they stopped talking to outsiders."
Her voice was raspy and low, like someone whispering alone in a dark room. But somehow, it didn't sound unpleasant—more like an oddly soothing grandmother's tone.
Logan and Sabrina both froze.
Despite their powerful psychic abilities, neither had sensed the woman approaching. They turned, stunned.
"She just appeared out of nowhere. I was about to warn you," echoed Mewtwo's voice in Logan's mind, easing his tension. If even Mewtwo had to react late, that meant the woman wasn't just an average person.
They spun to face her, reflexively assuming combat stances. Dragonair and Alakazam moved in front of their trainers, ready to shield them.
The woman was short, slightly hunched, with white hair and a long purple dress. She leaned on a cane and looked ancient—but her face, Logan noticed, had few wrinkles. For someone close to sixty, she was astonishingly well-preserved.
More importantly—he recognized her.
She was Agatha, one of the Kanto Elite Four.
Unlike the flashier Lance or the more publicly known Bruno and Lorelei, Agatha operated on a whole different level. The Elite Four weren't equals—and Agatha, along with Lance, stood at the top.
Agatha was a legend among Ghost-type trainers, and her past was shrouded in mystery. No one alive really knew her story, and she almost never appeared in public. Only the older generation knew anything about her at all.
Logan hadn't expected to run into her here. But now it was clear—the disappearances in Lavender Town, and possibly even Blue and Koga's vanishing, were almost certainly connected to her.
Who else could have silently made a Gym Leader vanish?
But why confront them directly? Was she that confident in her strength? It didn't match her rumored fighting style. She specialized in stealth, illusions, and ambushes. Showing up in person… was like discarding her biggest advantage.
Maybe she thought Logan and Sabrina wouldn't recognize her?
Logan's mind raced. He glanced at Sabrina. Her widened eyes showed surprise and wariness too. She had recognized Agatha, of course. As a Gym Leader and one of Team Rocket's three main executives, there was no way she wouldn't know the strongest forces in Kanto.
Agatha wouldn't make such a mistake. Which meant… this was deliberate.
Logan and Sabrina unconsciously stepped closer together. A moment ago, they were a meter apart. Now, they were practically touching.
Even if she was annoyed with him, Sabrina wasn't stupid. In crisis, she chose correctly.
Their psychic powers linked for silent communication. They couldn't transmit full sentences, but thoughts and intent flowed between them fast enough.
In that brief moment, they both agreed on the same plan:
If Agatha attacks, unleash Mewtwo and Alakazam to escape—immediately.
Even if Agatha wasn't using her ambush tactics, neither of them believed they could win against her in her home territory.
In that instant, they worked together as if they'd trained side-by-side for years.
Agatha suddenly smiled gently, her tone shifting again.
"Ahhh, that's more like it. Young couples quarrel sometimes, but the boy must learn to apologize when needed. And girls, don't be too stubborn—if it's not a matter of principle, forgive him."
Her voice was soft—like a grandma trying to give relationship advice.
Logan and Sabrina stared, dumbfounded. The vibe had just flipped completely.
Sabrina's face even twitched with embarrassment.
Then, Agatha's tone dropped. Cold and sharp.
"…But you better be careful, girl. Men are no good. Never trust a word they say."
With that, a chilling ghostly aura leaked from her body.
Logan shivered, his expression turning deadly serious.
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