Sabrina's eyes snapped open. The last thing she remembered was the crushing void—darkness that had devoured sound, light, and even thought itself. Cold sweat slicked her brow. She never wanted to feel that again.
"What kind of move was that…?" she whispered inwardly. It put all of Team Rocket—humans and Pokémon alike—straight to sleep.
She tested her bonds. The rope around her wrists unraveled instantly under a flex of her psychic power.
Around her, Rockets still lay unconscious. A few meters away, Alakazam sprawled on the ground, its body covered in burns and bite marks. Her heart clenched. She drew a Revive cube from her belt and floated it into her partner's mouth. The wounds closed rapidly, and after several breaths, Alakazam's eyes flickered open.
Stay down until you're fully recovered, she told it telepathically. Pretend to be unconscious.
Moments later, footsteps approached. Ethan and Cynthia walked into view, picking through the fallen Rockets.
Ethan crouched, rifling through a grunt's pockets.
"What are you doing?" Cynthia demanded, frowning.
"What does it look like? Collecting their money," Ethan replied flatly. "We fought hard today. Be a waste to let all this cash rot in police evidence." He pulled out a phone and grinned. "See? Already loaded."
"Ethan!" Cynthia snapped. "That's not right. Officer Jenny will be here any minute. These men are supposed to be handed to the police, not robbed."
He smirked. "Exactly why we need to hurry. Think about it, Cynthia. If I hadn't commanded Munchlax to pull off that miracle, what do you think would've happened to your Garchomp?"
Her face paled at the thought. She remembered the League news bulletins—Rocket experiments, Pokémon sold on the black market to rich collectors. A shiver ran down her spine. "If they'd taken Garchomp… I…"
"Right," Ethan said. "So I'm just taking a little from the criminals. Nothing wrong with that."
Cynthia hesitated, then sighed. "…Fine. You have a point. Let me help."
They searched side by side, until they reached Sabrina. Ethan reached down, only for a sharp wave of killing intent to freeze him.
His hand was slapped aside by Cynthia, who glared at him. "She's a woman. I'll search her."
But as Cynthia leaned closer, Sabrina's eyes snapped open.
Before Cynthia could react, a psychic blast hurled her across the clearing. Ethan barely had time to register it before a second wave slammed him off his feet—only to be caught midair by Charizard's wings.
When he steadied himself, Sabrina was already standing tall, Alakazam at her side, several mid-level Rocket officers levitating around her.
"I'll remember you, Ethan," Sabrina said coldly.
"Charizard—Flamethrower!" Ethan barked.
Charizard's head reared back, a pillar of searing flame roaring toward her. But Sabrina's eyes glowed, and in the same instant she and her allies vanished in a flash of light.
"Teleport…" Ethan muttered, scanning the town's edge. For a heartbeat he spotted them at Lavender's entrance—then they blinked out again. He exhaled, lowering his hand. Chasing would be pointless. His Charizard was newly evolved, strong but unpolished. Against Sabrina's Alakazam, it wasn't a fair fight.
He slid from Charizard's back.
Cynthia crawled out of a nearby bush, her face twisted in pain. Ethan rushed to her and helped her stand.
"Are you alright?"
She grit her teeth. "That woman… who is she? And why does she have psychic powers?"
"That was Sabrina," Ethan explained. "The Psychic Gym Leader of Saffron City. A natural psychic… and, apparently, a Rocket director."
Cynthia froze. Her eyes widened in shock. "A Gym Leader? In Team Rocket? That's impossible—she's supposed to be part of the League!"
Ethan shrugged. "Ask the League's executives if they know—or if they're pretending not to. From what I've seen, Rocket influence runs deep."
Her expression hardened. "We need to report this. The League must know."
Ethan shook his head, smiling bitterly. "If you think the League doesn't already know, you're too naïve. Out of the Kanto Gyms, only Pewter and Cerulean are untouched. Saffron, Vermilion, Fuchsia, Cinnabar, Viridian… all compromised. Even Celadon has a Rocket base."
Cynthia's breath caught. "That… that can't be true."
"Bet on it?" Ethan asked dryly. "Ten thousand Alliance Coins says Sabrina keeps her Gym Leader seat, even after this mess. The League won't touch her."
Cynthia clenched her fists. "Fine. Ten thousand. But you'll lose this time. The League won't allow it."
Ethan chuckled. "It's great to be young."
He turned away, still picking through the unconscious grunts, while Cynthia stood frozen, her world shaken.