[Sabrina illustration—click the paragraph comment to view]
At this moment, on the Indigo Plateau, Red pulled Sabrina into his arms.
"Wait... no..."
Before Sabrina could finish speaking, Red had already kissed her.
...
Red reached out with one hand.
Sabrina's face turned even redder, and her already labored breathing became more hurried.
At that moment, Red could clearly feel her heartbeat through his hand.
"What do you mean, no?"
...
Ten minutes later, Sabrina's face was burning hot. She shoved Red away and took several deep breaths.
Swatting aside his wandering hand, she said:
"You jerk! Where are you touching? Did I give you permission?"
Looking at Sabrina's shy expression, Red shamelessly replied:
"I can't help it. It's a natural bodily instinct. It's not something I can control."
"Is that really true?"
To Red's surprise, Sabrina actually seemed to believe him.
He immediately nodded.
"Of course. Think about those romance movies you've watched. Doesn't the male lead always unconsciously put his hand there?"
"It's not just me."
"Really?" Sabrina asked skeptically.
"Really! If you don't believe me, we can try kissing again!"
...
Sabrina's pretty face flushed red.
And so, in an inconspicuous corner of the Indigo Plateau, two figures could once again be seen breathing heavily.
Thirty minutes later, Sabrina wiped her slightly swollen lips and leaned against Red's shoulder.
"Red... what exactly are we now?"
Hearing the slight tremble and nervousness in her voice, Red took her hand just as he had during the fireworks festival, giving her a sense of complete security.
"We're boyfriend and girlfriend. What, are you planning to kiss me and then refuse to take responsibility?"
"You were the one who kissed me!" Sabrina protested indignantly.
"And you were the one who bit me first!"
Red immediately shot back.
But at that moment, Sabrina suddenly withdrew her hand.
Looking at Red, she hesitated before speaking.
"Red, I still don't think we're suitable for each other. I'm a Team Rocket executive, after all..."
"And I won't be leaving Team Rocket anytime soon. Whether it's that Joy girl or the girl at your Gym, both of them are more suitable for you than I am."
Hearing that, Red immediately frowned.
"What's wrong with being a Team Rocket executive? Can't people turn over a new leaf? Can't they be reformed?"
"Besides, Team Rocket is already lying low now. Isn't this the perfect opportunity for you to leave?"
Hearing Red's words, Sabrina nodded slightly, a happy smile appearing on her face.
But soon, hesitation returned.
"Can I really leave Team Rocket?"
A moment later, however, she looked at Red again, her gaze becoming gentle as she rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying a feeling of security she had never experienced before.
Although Red certainly had thoughts about taking things further, they were currently out in the wilderness.
There was no way he wanted his and Sabrina's first time to happen in such a terrible environment.
He gently rubbed her head and smoothed her long hair.
"Come on. It's time to head back."
Hearing him, Sabrina stood up.
But at that moment, her expression suddenly turned cold again, returning to the distant, untouchable persona she usually displayed.
Red stared at her.
"Are you seriously planning to kiss me and then refuse to take responsibility?"
The moment she heard that, Sabrina's composure collapsed. Her face turned bright red.
"My situation is complicated. When we're in public, I'd prefer if we acted normally."
"Sigh... I suppose I can reluctantly agree to that."
Of course, Red still took the opportunity to reach out and enjoy one final moment before letting her go.
...
More than half an hour later, Red and a completely composed Sabrina returned to the VIP viewing room.
The moment everyone saw that Red had actually brought Sabrina back, their eyes widened in shock.
Their minds were instantly thrown into turmoil.
How did this guy do it?
He actually managed to talk Sabrina into coming back after she stormed off!
I wonder if he's accepting disciples...
Seeing the three of them standing together and chatting peacefully, not only were the spectators shocked, but even Xiaowen, Gary, and Shinji were stunned.
How did Master pull that off?
He's truly a role model for our generation!
As everyone exchanged meaningful glances, Ninetales sniffed the air suspiciously.
"Why does Master smell like Sabrina? Curious..."
Before she could finish speaking, Red moved at the fastest speed of his life and covered Ninetales' mouth.
Just then, the doors to the VIP viewing area were pushed open.
Ash walked in energetically and declared:
"So? Wasn't I amazing? I won my very first match!"
"And not only did I win decisively, I even hid some of my strength!"
Looking at Ash's beaming smile, Red couldn't help feeling a little emotional.
"It really isn't easy. To think I'd actually live to see Ash use tactics. What a blessed day."
Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
"Master, the way you're saying that makes me sound like some kind of reckless brute!"
The moment Ash said that, Misty, Gary, Brock, and even Red all froze.
"Wait a second. If you're not a reckless brute, then who is?"
"Who's the one who challenged an Onix using Pikachu? I won't name names."
"Who's the one who barged into Gyms and then made his Master clean up the mess afterward? I won't name names either."
...
After Ash's easy victory, Gary and Shinji also comfortably secured their first wins in the League Conference.
After all, in a regional tournament held once per year, unless someone like Sinnoh's infamous Legendary Pokémon user showed up, competitors at Ash and Gary's current level would have little difficulty winning the championship.
Of course, as for which of the three would ultimately claim the title, Red was still very much looking forward to finding out.
And while Ash and the others were immersed in the League Conference, the competition for the Eight Official Gym Leader positions had finally begun on Red's side as well.
Unlike the League Conference, which drew massive crowds, the tournament that would decide who became Kanto's eighth official Gym Leader had very few spectators.
There were fewer than a hundred people in attendance.
However, every single one of them carried tremendous weight.
The judging panel alone included many League executives, with President Damaranch among them.
Even Agatha of the Elite Four and the Fighting-type Elite Four member Bruno had come to watch.
Red had originally intended to see whether Professor Oak was present as well.
But after spotting Agatha, he more or less gave up hope.
After all, whenever Professor Oak was around Agatha, he looked like a mouse that had encountered a cat.
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