Even from such a high vantage point, the vast expanse of Saffron City could not be fully taken in. Logan narrowed his eyes, straining to glimpse the city's center, but all he could make out were shadowy outlines blurred in thick, rising columns of black smoke that clawed toward the heavens.

Even without stepping foot inside, the group felt an eerie, oppressive silence. It was as if the entire city itself had become a colossal beast from ancient times—its maw wide open, waiting to devour them whole.

"There aren't many people left walking the streets," Green said lazily as she lounged sideways on the back of Logan's Garchomp. She lifted a sleek, high-tech scope to her eye, scanning Saffron. "Almost every street is crawling with Rocket patrols. And the choke points—the four major routes connecting Saffron to the surrounding cities? Each one's swarming with thousands of grunts."

Logan, Red, and Blue Oak each held their Pokédexes, the telescope's feed transmitting directly to their screens. The grim reality was plain for them all to see.

"Thousands at every gate…," Blue Oak muttered with a scowl.

Logan studied the images with a deep frown. "The entire city is sealed inside a massive 'Light Screen.' Forget flying in from above—it's impossible. I've probed the barrier already. It isn't just a wall of Psychic energy; it's a living fortress. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Psychic-types are channeling their power into it at once."

He pointed toward the glowing dome that encased Saffron like an enormous bubble. "No matter where you strike it, the energy flows instantly to reinforce that point. Unless someone has the power to overwhelm every single one of them at once, this shield can't be broken. It's absolute."

Blue Oak folded his arms with a huff. "Tch. That explains it. If I had to guess, the mastermind behind this is Sabrina and her Hypno. She's a defensive battle genius. This city… has been turned into a steel fortress."

Logan's gaze remained cold as he watched the shimmering barrier. "Exactly."

"What about underground?" Red called out, dangling from the claws of his Aerodactyl as it hovered above.

Blue Oak immediately shot back with his usual disdain. "Don't be stupid. If it's a dome, then underground is sealed too."

Logan chuckled lightly. "Blue's right. It's spherical. That's why the energy spirals so smoothly around it like a coiled serpent." He turned to Red and smirked at his fossil Pokémon. "Though I've got to say… Red, you're lucky. An Aerodactyl? A creature thought extinct—revived from stone. That's rare."

Red scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. "Heh, I dug up a fossil on Mt. Moon. Later I met Bill, the Pokémon expert in Cerulean, and he introduced me to a researcher in Pewter City. They revived it for me. But… it's still just a newborn. Not much of a fighter yet."

Logan's eyes softened for a moment. "Then it must've been the same man who helped Blaine develop the fossil revival machine."

"Enough chit-chat," Blue snapped, impatient. He ordered his Charizard to unleash a blast of scorching flame at the barrier. The fire licked and burned against the dome, its temperature high enough to melt steel—yet the shield did not ripple, not even slightly.

Red's eyes widened. "It's really unbreakable…"

Logan remained unfazed. "A thousand trained Psychic Pokémon defending without attacking… even a Legendary would struggle. But for me, slipping us inside? That's hardly a problem."

Red and Blue looked at him, puzzled. Logan's smirk widened. "Don't resist. Just… go with it."

He unclipped a Master Ball from his neck and tossed it overhead. With a sharp snap of his fingers, reality bent. Space folded like rippling water, the air itself twisting. In a blink, the group was no longer outside the city walls. They stood atop a high-rise building within Saffron itself.

Red's jaw dropped. Blue's eyes narrowed.

"The Light Screen blocks physical entry," Logan explained casually, catching the Master Ball as it fell back into his palm. "But Psychic Teleportation bypasses it entirely. Only a handful of Pokémon can achieve it with passengers. Rocket never considered it a weakness worth patching."

Red still looked stunned. "So that's… Mewtwo's power?"

Logan ignored the question, stepping to the rooftop's edge. Wind howled around him as his hair whipped violently. With one hand in his pocket, he extended the other, pointing toward Saffron's tallest skyscraper, towering over the city like a monolith.

"There," he declared coolly. "Silph Co. Headquarters. Rocket's stronghold. I can't say for sure if the people of Pallet Town are all inside… but Daisy Oak, as one of their key hostages, will be held there."

Blue walked up beside him, his tone firm. "Thanks for getting us in, but we've probably already been detected. Best chance now is to split up. Find the hostages, rescue them, then regroup with the Gym Leaders for the final assault. Agreed?"

Red nodded immediately. "Yeah. Splitting up makes sense. If anyone finds something, contact the rest through the Pokédex."

Logan shrugged. "Fine. You two go your way. I'll take Green with me. May fortune favor us all."

Without hesitation, Blue climbed back onto Charizard and soared into the sky. Red gave Logan a thumbs-up before Aerodactyl carried him away in the opposite direction.

When they were gone, Logan finally turned to Green. "You don't mind following my lead, do you?"

Green giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course not, handsome~~ Didn't I say I'd stick with you no matter what?"

Her sultry tone and pleading gaze were enough to stir even the calmest of men, though Logan's expression remained unreadable.

Then—his heart skipped. Something tugged at his senses.

He glanced down to the street below. The city was nearly empty, devoid of civilians… yet one figure caught his eye.

A small girl. She ran clumsily along the empty road, her short pink hair bouncing with each hurried step. And atop her head… soft, furry cat ears twitched.

Even from this distance, Logan could see her bright pink eyes turn upward, as though she knew he was watching. Her gaze was lively, curious, and innocent.

Green noticed his distraction. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Logan shook his head. "Nothing. Just… odd."

But when he looked again, the girl was gone.

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