But Ryuuske was not happy at all.
He tried to push Green off, but she clung to him like a limpet. While part of it was because he wasn't using much force, it still showed just how tightly she was holding on.
The temperature in the space plummeted—not in a physical sense, but in the form of an overwhelming, oppressive aura.
Sabrina hovered in the air ten meters ahead, her delicate face icy and expressionless. She didn't speak, didn't move, her arms still crossed—yet the sheer stillness of her presence only amplified the suffocating pressure.
Green shivered dramatically, deliberately loud enough for all three to hear.
"So scary, honey~ This woman is absolutely terrifying. No wonder no one wants her. I always say menopausal women are completely unreasonable—seeing young couples in love just makes them lash out everywhere."
As if deliberately fanning the flames, Green kept prodding.
Right now, Ryuuske just wanted to say: If your goal was to piss Sabrina off, Green—congratulations, you succeeded. Because Sabrina wasn't the type to argue with words. Her method of debate had always been one thing—
"Future Sight!"
At some point, Sabrina had already instructed Alakazam to plant this psychic time bomb in the space around them. The moment Green finished speaking, Sabrina detonated it.
A terrifying wave of psychic energy erupted like a gravitational ripple, distorting the very air and crushing everything in its path—with Ryuuske and Green at the epicenter.
Only an idiot would stand there and take a Future Sight head-on. Ryuuske immediately prepared to dodge, but Green was clinging to him so tightly that escaping meant taking her along.
In one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lunged aside. At the same time, Eevee evolved into Jolteon. Grabbing Jolteon with his free hand, Ryuuske activated "Agility"—
Jolteon transformed into a streak of lightning, darting away faster than Future Sight could land.
As expected, this whole place was a trap. Knowing Sabrina, she rarely fought without preparation.
But from Sabrina's perspective, Ryuuske shielding Green mid-battle only reinforced the intimacy she'd witnessed days ago on Cinnabar Island. Seeing them fighting while wrapped around each other, a surge of inexplicable fury burned through her—the famously cold, composed Sabrina was now on the verge of losing control.
"Fine. Then die together, you lovebirds. Psychic!"
Sabrina stopped holding back. With a sharp flick of her wrist, Alakazam's spoon glowed as a visible wave of psychic energy blasted forward!
"Thunder Wave!"
Ryuuske reacted instantly. Jolteon unleashed a crackling electromagnetic pulse, forming a magnetic barrier that intercepted Psychic.
"Ugh—!"
The impact was like a sledgehammer to the chest. Ryuuske and Jolteon were sent flying, skidding meters back before stabilizing. Against Sabrina's strongest Pokémon, Eevee's evolved form still wasn't enough—especially when Alakazam, feeding off its Trainer's rage, had struck with zero restraint. While the psychic energy was blocked, the sheer kinetic force left Ryuuske's organs rattled, forcing out a cough.
"Honey, are you okay?!"
Green clung to him in exaggerated concern—though the sly glint in her fox-like eyes as she glanced at Sabrina betrayed her satisfaction.
Plan successful!!
"I'm fine. Green, get Blastoise to flood the area—now!"
Ryuuske shook his head and ordered quickly.
"On it!"
Though sharp-witted, Green knew her battle skills paled in comparison to Ryuuske's. She obeyed without question, hurling Blastoise's Poké Ball.
"You heard him, Blasty! Turn this place into a water park!"
The moment it emerged, Blastoise unleashed torrents of water from its twin cannons—non-aggressive, just pure H₂O.
As the ground beneath them transformed into a shallow pool, Sabrina's guard rose. What's his game? Conducting electricity? Something else?
Keeping her distance from the water, she levitated higher.
Unnoticed by Green, Ryuuske used his own psychic abilities to plant something on her—a smirk playing on his lips as Jolteon shifted into Vaporeon.
"Vaporeon, Acid Armor!"
Acid Armor?!
Sabrina tensed further. This move, exclusive to certain Water-types, allowed the user to liquefy itself—either to evade attacks or strike unseen. For Vaporeon, a Pokémon already composed of water, the technique was flawless. And with the entire floor now submerged, pinpointing one shifting puddle was near impossible.
This wasn't just a pool—it was a death trap.
But what happened next left both Sabrina and Green stunned.
"Behold—Water Style Jutsu!"
With that baffling declaration, Vaporeon leaped like a mermaid—but instead of merging with the water, it enveloped Ryuuske, dissolving both of them into liquid before vanishing completely.
Sabrina had seen this before. Koga, the ninja Gym Leader, specialized in such escapes. But she never imagined Ryuuske could manipulate water to this degree.
Silence.
The two remaining girls stood frozen—one grinning in triumph, the other on the verge of tears.
"How bold. To have a Pokémon use Acid Armor on himself—merging their forms into water. The precision required, the bond between Trainer and Pokémon… One misstep, and it's lethal. To think he's trained Eevee to this level in just months. But—"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Sabrina burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as her shoulders shook. She coughed mid-laugh, her joy so intense it bordered on hysterical.
"So much for 'true love,' little girl! Let me teach you how to catch a man's eye—because that flat chest of yours isn't cutting it!"
"Your 'beloved' just abandoned you!"
Raising a hand, Sabrina prepared to order Alakazam's next strike. She felt alive, high on schadenfreude.
"Tch. Don't get cocky. You think he ran? He's hiding, waiting to ambush you!"
Though pale-faced, Green forced a defiant retort.
I was the one planning to screw you over—and you outplayed me first?!
For the first time, Green felt genuine awe at Ryuuske's sheer audacity.
"Hmm…"
Sabrina's smirk faltered slightly. She knew Ryuuske too well—that boy was ruthlessly cunning. What if he was lying in wait?
The standoff resumed—one wary of ambush, the other too outmatched to attack.
Meanwhile, Ryuuske had actually escaped.
Only an idiot would get caught in a fight between two women.
Sabrina might have the raw power, but Green's cunning made her a formidable opponent. Under normal circumstances, neither would end up dead.
Besides, Ryuuske had already left a little surprise on Green. Whether Sabrina crushed her with brute strength or Green outsmarted her, his contingency would ensure both walked away unharmed.
By then, he'd be long gone.
Plan successful!
To be continued…