"You're saying… you won't hand over the badge to a weak Trainer like me?"
When Ash heard those words, he instantly felt like he'd just been openly looked down on!
Yes—this wasn't even subtle. It was pure, unfiltered contempt!
"Damn it! This emotionless, glass-face-no-expression girl actually dares to underestimate me like that!"
Ash puffed up in anger, glaring furiously at Sabrina, feeling utterly indignant. Yet, despite his frustration, there was absolutely nothing he could say to refute her.
Because the truth was—during that gym battle just now, he had been completely, one-sidedly crushed by this stoic psychic woman from start to finish…
"I was fighting seriously! I really was! How could I have known psychic Pokémon were this ridiculously hard to deal with?!"
Ash's tone was full of grievance. This was the first time he had ever faced a Psychic-type opponent in a proper battle, and the experience was… well, painful.
He had been toyed with. Utterly. In every way possible.
Though he was deeply upset by the woman's cold attitude, he had to admit—he stood absolutely no chance. Against that Kadabra, he had been powerless.
And yet, as Ash glared at her with resentment in his eyes, Sabrina didn't even blink. She didn't react at all. Her expression was as tranquil as still water.
Without a word, she simply withdrew her Kadabra back into its Poké Ball.
"Ash, let's go heal Pikachu and the others first," Brock advised gently.
He could tell Ash had been affected by Sabrina's blunt statement.
Unlike Ash, Brock knew very well how difficult this particular Gym was—especially since this was a Psychic-type Gym.
Failing here was completely normal.
After all, within the entire Kanto region, the three most notoriously difficult Gyms were:
Viridian City's Gym, Cinnabar Island's Gym, and Saffron City's Gym.
And though Sabrina was still young, her strength far exceeded that of her father—the previous Gym Leader. She was, without question, a psychic prodigy.
"I'll definitely come back to challenge you again! Next time, I swear I'll beat you and earn your badge!"
Ash clenched his fists tightly. Though discouraged, he couldn't just walk away in silence—that wasn't his style.
Even if he lost miserably, he would leave behind a declaration of war.
Sabrina's eyes didn't waver in the slightest.
"A Gym Leader does not refuse a challenge."
Her voice was calm and detached, as though merely stating a fact.
As a Gym Leader, refusing a challenger was against the rules.
"Tch… so arrogant…"
Ash muttered under his breath.
Come on—he wasn't just some random nobody! He'd fought against Team Rocket countless times already!
Still, even with all that bravado, he couldn't deny one simple truth: how was he supposed to defeat Kadabra next time?
His Pokémon couldn't even touch that thing! And its psychic powers—ugh, so annoying!
Ash clutched his head in frustration, feeling an oncoming headache. But just as he turned to leave—
He froze.
In fact, all three of them—Ash, Misty, and Brock—froze in place, eyes wide in complete disbelief.
Standing by the doorway… was someone none of them expected to see here.
"Y-you… why are you here?!"
Ash's voice was a mix of shock and anger as he stared at the figure before him. His expression was truly a sight to behold.
That person—was none other than Lucas.
This bastard!
In contrast, Sabrina's expression remained as emotionless as ever—her usual blank, unreadable face.
"Oh~ young man, long time no see."
Lucas's lips curled into a faint smile. His tone carried a casual, friendly familiarity, as though he were greeting an old friend after years apart.
"You bastard! You're after this Gym, aren't you? I'll never let you get away with it!"
Ash's righteous spirit flared instantly. Even after all this time, the fire of justice in his heart burned as bright as ever.
He yanked a Poké Ball from his belt and glared furiously at Lucas.
There was no way he could forget this guy—the same smiling-faced youth who had tricked him on the S.S. Anne, hurt his older brother, and later, in Vermilion City, boldly kidnapped their new friend, Green, right before their eyes!
Those memories were seared into Ash's mind.
Back then, he had been so angry that he had almost burst a vein!
And now… fate had brought them face to face again.
What Ash didn't realize, however, was that one of the girls standing beside Lucas at this very moment was Green herself.
After returning to Kanto, Green had used Ditto's transformation ability to disguise herself whenever she went out—her situation was too complicated, her identity too sensitive to reveal.
"This… could be a problem," Misty muttered under her breath.
She exchanged a look with Brock, both of their expressions growing serious.
Lucas wasn't just any Team Rocket member. He was a high-ranking executive. His identity alone carried weight—and his strength was far beyond even that of the Elite Four's Lorelei.
And yet, here he was, standing casually inside the Saffron Gym—in the middle of the city—as if he owned the place.
No way this was a coincidence.
It had to be intentional.
"Hey now, that's a serious accusation, young man. I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
Lucas spread his hands in mock helplessness, his tone light and innocent.
"Hmph! A guy like you doing something good? Yeah, right!"
Ash's voice was sharp and angry. To him, Lucas was the embodiment of evil—a ruthless, scheming Rocket who had stolen their friend.
Lucas arched an eyebrow, his lips curving into a faint, mysterious smile.
"You know, kid, I'm a fairly patient man… but if you keep spouting baseless accusations like that, your tongue might start rotting."
His tone was calm, but the quiet chill that followed made Ash's blood run cold.
That gaze—sharp, dangerous, predatory—felt like being stared down by some ancient beast from prehistoric times.
Ash flinched instinctively, taking a step back before he could stop himself. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and he swallowed nervously.
Though his sense of justice was strong, Ash was still young. Too young.
"You—you think you can scare me?! I-I'm not afraid of you!"
He stammered out the words, face red with embarrassment, shouting louder than necessary as if to drown out his own fear.
Yes—he was ashamed.
For a brief moment, he had actually felt fear. He had flinched before this man.
And that realization made him burn with humiliation.
"Haha… you really haven't changed. You're still just as entertaining as ever."
Lucas chuckled softly. Indeed, teasing the protagonist of the anime himself was surprisingly fun.
Ash had never been good at hiding his emotions—his heart was always on display for everyone to see.
All of his reactions, from anger to embarrassment, were written clearly across his face.
"Ash, calm down," Misty whispered urgently, tugging at his sleeve. "You need to think before you act. Don't make things worse."
They didn't know why Lucas was here, but if they angered him… things could end very badly.
On the S.S. Anne, Lucas had effortlessly defeated Red. Even Lorelei of the Elite Four had been completely overpowered by him.
There was no way they could stand against someone like that.
Lucas turned his gaze toward Misty, his sharp eyes glinting with faint amusement.
"Your companion is a lot more sensible than you are. I can understand your desire to fight for justice, young man—but the most important thing in this world is to know your limits."
He smiled faintly, his tone deceptively gentle.
"To confront evil, passion alone is not enough."
Misty stiffened under his gaze, a chill running down her spine.
Then Lucas turned back to Ash, his expression soft again.
"So, about Green … you seem quite concerned about her, aren't you?"
"Of course I am! She's our friend!" Ash shot back immediately, without a trace of hesitation.
Beside Lucas, the disguised Green blinked, her eyes flickering with a trace of surprise.
"Hmph… such loyalty," Lucas said with a faint smile. "But you should give up on that reckless idea of yours. The waters here run deep. Far too deep for a fresh-faced rookie like you to wade into."
He paused, then added casually, "Still, you don't need to worry. Green and I go way back—we're childhood friends. I wouldn't hurt her."
"What?!"
Ash frowned deeply. "Childhood friends? That's what you said last time too!"
"Believe whatever you like." Lucas shrugged. "If you don't plan to give up, then just keep searching. Who knows—maybe someday, you'll find her again."
He smiled faintly, eyes flickering with amusement. And when that day comes, whether we're enemies or allies… that remains to be seen.
In truth, Green's attitude toward him had already changed over time. Though she'd been resistant at first, months of traveling together had softened her stance.
And besides, Green was no naïve girl. She had her own beliefs and her own worldview.
"Anyway," Lucas said after a moment, clapping his hands lightly, "I think that's enough catching up. My friend here wants to challenge the Gym. Would you kindly step aside?"
He glanced at Sabrina—who, unsurprisingly, hadn't moved a single step this entire time. She looked almost like a statue.
"You?"
Ash blinked in disbelief, his jaw dropping. "You're challenging the Gym?!"
Wait, what?!
"You're a Team Rocket member! How can you challenge a Gym?!"
Misty and Brock were equally stunned.
Lucas sighed softly, pressing his hand against his forehead with exaggerated disappointment.
"Dear boy, not only do I question your intelligence now, but I also think you might need to get your ears checked. I said my friend will be challenging the Gym."
"I—my intelligence and my hearing are perfectly fine!" Ash shot back, his face flushing red again. "And you—you evil Rocket scum—how can your friend possibly be allowed to—"
Lucas cut him off mid-sentence.
"Correction. I am a Team Rocket member. My friend is not. Is it forbidden for me to accompany a friend to a Gym challenge now? Or is that against the law too?"
He smiled faintly. "Besides… even if I wanted to challenge the Gym—does the Pokémon League have any rule that forbids Team Rocket members from doing so?"
"Uh…"
Ash froze. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Did it?
He turned instinctively to look at his companions.
"Brock, you used to be a Gym Leader. There's gotta be a rule like that, right?"
Brock frowned, thinking hard. His eyes, usually half-closed, opened slightly.
"Actually…" he murmured after a pause, sounding genuinely surprised, "there… isn't one."
For a moment, all three of them just stood there in stunned silence.
Wait—what?!
There really wasn't?!
(End of Chapter)