Cynthia wore the same awkward expression as Logan. She parted her lips as if to say something, but in the end felt she had no standing to speak. She could only remain silent.
Green, who had just been arguing fiercely with Sabrina moments ago, also quieted down. She subconsciously shifted a little closer to Sabrina, almost as if silently showing her support through that small gesture.
Yellow sensed that something was terribly wrong with the atmosphere. She raised her hand as if to call out to Logan and the others, but in the end only ended up scratching her own head, completely at a loss over what to do.
"Are you playing with me, Logan?!"
Sabrina finally exploded in rage.
"Do you find it fun to toy with me like this?!"
Her anger was mixed with a sharp sense of betrayal. Staring at the two dazzling gemstones in Logan's hand, heartbreak turned swiftly into humiliation. In her fury, she called out Logan's name directly.
She gasped for breath, chest rising and falling as she struggled to hold back the collapse of her rationality. Her graceful figure trembled with every breath—but soon, even that final thread of restraint snapped.
After all, she was once one of Team Rocket's Three Executives. Someone like her would never simply swallow such an insult.
"Alakazam—Psycho Shift!"
Sabrina was never the type to just argue with words. In an instant, she hurled a Poké Ball. Her strongest Pokémon, Alakazam, appeared, crossing the spoons in its hands as a violently warped beam of psychic light erupted outward, enveloping everything within a hundred-meter radius.
Alakazam's brain cells were in a state of perpetual division, its computational power rivaling that of a supercomputer. As a pure Psychic-type Pokémon, even the residual waves of its psychic power were enough to induce splitting headaches in anyone nearby.
"W-Whoa—are you insane?! You don't just attack people indiscriminately!"
Green clutched her head and crouched to the ground, yelling at Sabrina through the pain.
Yellow and Cynthia weren't faring much better, their expressions equally strained. Even the three Team Rocket captains looked twisted with agony—Sabrina's Psycho Shift made no distinction between friend and foe.
"Sabrina, calm down!"
Logan's expression darkened.
"We haven't even confronted the Elite Four yet, and you're already tearing us apart—do you want our enemies laughing at us?!"
Logan was extremely sensitive to psychic energy. The instant Sabrina gave the order, he stepped back and commanded sharply:
"…Latias, block Alakazam!"
"Yes, Master!"
Latias instantly reverted from her maid disguise back to her true form. She raised her draconic head and let out a resonant cry as powerful psychic waves surged from her body, counteracting the effects of Alakazam's attack.
At the same time, the Eevee on Logan's shoulder leapt forward and evolved mid-motion into Umbreon. As a Dark-type Pokémon, Umbreon was completely unfazed by psychic power. It sprang onto Alakazam's body, sharp claws pressed firmly against Alakazam's neck.
The clash between Latias's and Alakazam's psychic forces filled everyone's vision with swirling, prismatic colors. The sheer intensity of their power made even the bow of the S.S. Anne sway slightly—finally snapping Sabrina back to her senses.
"That's enough, Alakazam. Stand down."
At her command, Alakazam withdrew its psychic power. Umbreon leapt back down and returned to Logan's side.
Sabrina planted one hand on her hip and stared coldly at Logan, clearly waiting for an explanation.
"…What a headache."
Logan shrugged and gave a rough overview of Mega Evolution, Keystones, and Evolution Stones.
"Mega Evolution?"
Sabrina frowned.
"What is that supposed to be?"
She had never heard of such a thing, but she didn't immediately refute Logan either. Judging by his demeanor, this wasn't something he had fabricated on the spot.
Mega Evolution was still known only to a handful of researchers. But with Sabrina's resources, verifying it through Team Rocket would be trivial—she would soon know whether Logan was telling the truth.
In reality, she already believed him.
"I can understand wearing a Keystone,"
Sabrina said irritably, arms crossed.
"And I can even understand turning it into jewelry. But does it have to be a ring?"
"Other forms might work too,"
Logan replied calmly.
"But people say the ten fingers are connected to the heart. Since Mega Evolution relies on the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, wearing it as a ring feels… more fitting."
That reasoning left no room for rebuttal. Sabrina snorted and turned her head away.
"According to information I got from Dr. Fuji,"
Logan continued,
"even though Mega Evolution research is limited, theoretically any Pokémon can Mega Evolve. Your Alakazam should be capable of it too."
"I'll investigate that myself."
Sabrina glanced at Alakazam, a ripple of interest passing through her eyes.
Making one's Pokémon stronger was an instinct carved into every Trainer's bones. Now that Mega Evolution existed, there was no way she wouldn't pursue it.
"Fuji used to be a Team Rocket researcher…"
she muttered thoughtfully.
"To think he studied something like this without us knowing."
She tapped her arm lightly, already planning a visit to Lavender Town once the Elite Four situation was resolved.
Team Rocket had long known about Dr. Fuji's retreat there. But since Mewtwo had already been completed, his value had diminished—and so they allowed him to remain in seclusion.
Ruthless as Team Rocket was to its enemies, it still showed a trace of humanity toward its own.
"…Darling, are we really going to Cerise Island with this vicious woman?"
Green whispered, sneaking up beside Logan.
"She won't suddenly switch sides halfway through and stab us in the back, will she?"
"Do we have a choice?"
Logan replied quietly.
"The League's been useless for ages and still couldn't find Cerise Island. Right now, Team Rocket is our only lead."
"…And honestly, Sabrina's cold on the outside but kind at heart. Don't judge her with prejudice."
Logan knew these girls were bound to clash. All he could do was act as a buffer to keep things from exploding.
Each of them—Sabrina, Green, Cynthia, Yellow—had their own personalities, their own brilliance. Forcing them to abandon their individuality and become obedient tools was impossible.
And it was precisely that individuality that made them shine.
"Cold on the outside, kind at heart?"
Green pouted.
"I don't buy it."
She quickly shut up when Sabrina shot her a glare.
"…The girls you know are certainly… diverse,"
Cynthia said quietly, her lips curved in a faint, knowing smile.
In that moment, she felt she finally understood what kind of man Logan truly was.
Young, yet effortlessly navigating between powerful women—a seasoned veteran of the battlefield of hearts.
Strangely enough, it wasn't repulsive.
Because unlike slick, shallow men, he truly deserved their affection.
That was Cynthia's conclusion.
"Yellow, you've changed the most,"
Logan said, turning to the smallest member of the group.
"A month of special training with your grandmother really transformed you."
"Big Brother!"
Yellow said firmly.
"This time, I'll definitely be able to help you!"
"Haha… then I'll be looking forward to it."
Logan ruffled Yellow's hair and raised his voice:
"…Alright then. Let's move out.
Our destination— Cerise Island!"
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