There was clearly something wrong with Sam's judgment—otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a reckless choice.
Ignoring Petrel's warning, Sam took out a Poké Ball and released Gengar.
That action alone was his answer.
Petrel's expression darkened instantly. He had planned to scare Sam away, but the plan had failed.
Though he spoke with contempt, deep down he understood that Sam's strength could not be underestimated.
After all, Sabrina had desperately fled toward Sam for help. That alone proved she recognized his strength.
Petrel found himself in a dilemma.
He had finally forced Sabrina into a desperate situation and was just about to capture her, only for an unexpected variable to appear halfway through.
Capturing Sabrina alive was extremely important to Team Rocket.
On the surface, it would eliminate a powerful enemy. But more importantly, Sabrina's Psychic abilities were invaluable to Team Rocket.
Mewtwo had already been successfully cloned, but its control over Psychic power was still unstable. If Sabrina could be captured and forced to teach Mewtwo the secrets of Psychic mastery, Mewtwo's strength would skyrocket.
At that point, Team Rocket ruling the world would no longer be a dream.
Should he take the risk?
Petrel hesitated.
"Caw—! Caw—!"
Honchkrow suddenly cried out sharply, interrupting his thoughts.
As his trusted Pokémon, Petrel immediately understood its meaning.
Leave.
Honchkrow had sensed Gengar's strength. Even with a type advantage, it had no desire to fight such an opponent.
Anyone who could rise to the rank of Team Rocket executive was no fool.
Realizing that this battle could not be won cleanly, Petrel decisively chose to retreat.
Neither Sam nor Sabrina made any move to stop him.
After all, Petrel was a Team Rocket executive—no one knew what hidden trump cards he might still possess.
More importantly, Sam had no desire to fight Petrel at all. This confrontation had been completely forced upon him.
Battling Team Rocket was very different from fighting ordinary Trainers. If something went wrong, Gengar could be dragged into a deadly situation.
And if Gengar were restrained by Honchkrow, Sam himself would become an easy target.
Petrel would have no hesitation in attacking the Trainer first.
That was why Sam always avoided Team Rocket whenever possible.
Facing enemies who attacked Trainers without hesitation was never a wise choice.
Only after confirming that Petrel had truly left did Sabrina finally descend.
She withdrew the Psychic energy supporting her body and slowly returned to the ground.
This was the first time Sam had clearly seen the Saffron Gym Leader up close.
Sabrina was young—probably only a year or two younger than Sam.
She had long purple hair and striking features. Among all the beautiful women Sam had seen, she was unquestionably exceptional.
Her only flaw was her coldness.
Perhaps because she had been floating for too long, Sabrina was momentarily unsteady upon landing. Her foot slipped, and she fell forward.
Sam stood nearby.
If he ran over at full speed, he could easily catch her before she hit the ground.
Catch her?
Sam smiled inwardly.
Let her fall!
Just thinking about how he had offended a high-ranking Team Rocket executive simply by wandering through the forest made his blood boil.
If not for the fact that he didn't want to offend both sides at once, he would have already started cursing.
"I disappointed you."
Before touching the ground, Sabrina used Psychic to stabilize herself and landed gracefully.
Sam's heart skipped a beat.
Could Sabrina read his thoughts?
"Relax," Sabrina said coldly. "I can't read minds. Your thoughts are simply written all over your face."
"…I see."
"Gym leader Sabrina," Sam asked, changing the subject, "why did Team Rocket attack you?"
Sabrina frowned slightly.
"I'm not entirely sure," she replied. "Petrel seemed intent on capturing me alive. If not for that, I might have been in serious danger."
Then she added, "Thank you for saving me."
Her voice was still cold, but Sam could clearly sense the gratitude beneath it.
Faced with her thanks, Sam didn't know how to respond.
After all, saving Sabrina had been an act of pure necessity.
"Gym leader Sabrina," Sam said casually, "what do you plan to do next?"
"What will I do?"
Sabrina smiled.
It was the first time Sam had ever seen her smile.
The temperature around them seemed to drop instantly, and an intense killing intent radiated from her body.
It was clear—Team Rocket had truly enraged the Pokémon League's rising star.
"If I remember correctly," Sabrina said calmly, "Team Rocket owns quite a few properties in Saffron City."
Sam understood immediately.
This time, Team Rocket had tried to steal a chicken and ended up losing the rice.
---------------Author---------------
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