Other than Lt. Surge, who was visibly fired up, both Koga and Sabrina remained calm in the face of Team Rocket's recent victory. One had long since grown weary of these endless battles, while the other harbored complicated emotions—for even before Team Rocket seized Saffron City, this city had already belonged to Sabrina.

As the commander of this campaign, Sabrina bore full responsibility for everything that happened in Saffron. Not only because of her deep familiarity with the city, but also because she was Kanto's most powerful psychic. If Team Rocket wanted to seal off Saffron and keep intruders out, only her psychic army could form such an impenetrable defense.

Yet no one knew what truly stirred in Sabrina's mind. Watching the city where she had grown up being torn apart—there was no way she could feel nothing.

"HAHAHAHA! Those brats really split up their forces! How about we each take one of them?"

Lt. Surge burst out laughing, his voice booming across the control room.

From here, the three Rocket Executives had full surveillance of Saffron.Logan knew that even with Mewtwo's instantaneous teleportation, sneaking past Sabrina's psychic senses was impossible. Which was exactly why he didn't bother with stealth—he had boldly teleported right into the city. From the very moment his group of four set foot inside Saffron, they were already under Rocket surveillance.

"Sounds good to me! I heard that brat refused the badge I offered him, wanting to win it with his own strength. Fine—this time I'll give him the chance!"

Koga flipped a Crobat upside-down on his hand, its mouth clutching a shard of mirror. Reflected in the glass was the image of Blue, riding Charizard at full speed toward Silph Company.

"Alright, then Blue is yours, Koga. Personally, I'm more interested in that kid who uses dragons. But I doubt Sabrina will allow it. So, how about this—leave the dragon brat and that strange little girl to Sabrina, and let me deal with the other brat—the one who nearly killed me back on the S.S. Anne!"

Lt. Surge grinned manically, "Perfect timing too. I've just gotten my hands on some brand-new toys. With a fresh supply of power, I can finally test them out for real!"

There wasn't the slightest trace of pre-battle tension in his demeanor. In truth, Lt. Surge had never once feared death. To this man, battle and war were the only things worth living for.

Sabrina lowered her head without a word, arms folded as she silently left the control room. She said nothing, but both Koga and Surge understood—her silence meant she agreed to the plan.

"This skyscraper's still useful to the Boss, so don't let them destroy it completely. Koga, let's head out and welcome these little pests ourselves!"

With that, Surge pulled out his original Gym Leader badge. At his signal came a piercing cry—a massive golden bird, its feathers gleaming like lightning, descended and perched on his shoulder with claws like steel.

"The Kanto League really is a pack of fools," Surge sneered, eyeing the badge. "They sit on mountains of treasure without knowing how to use it. In the end, it all falls right into Team Rocket's hands."

The badge, once given by the League to symbolize his authority as a Gym Leader, had now been repurposed into a Rocket strategic weapon.

"Let's fly, Zapdos! With you, our energy supply is endless! HAHAHAHAHA!"

With manic laughter, a blinding bolt of lightning tore across the glass window, shattering it into shards. Surge rode high into the skies, carried by Zapdos itself.

Only once he had vanished into the storm clouds did Koga finally pull out his own Fuchsia Gym badge. As it glimmered faintly in his palm, a cold, violent gale spiraled around him, freezing the air in the room.

"...After this battle, I'll return home to see Janine. I wonder how she's been doing."

At the thought of his daughter, Koga's restless heart eased into rare tranquility.

Meanwhile—

"Where should we start? Should we charge straight for the top floor?"

Red, held by Aerodactyl's claws as it circled above the city, gazed down at the towering hundred-story Silph building, doubt clouding his face.

Like Blue, Red's true goal here wasn't simply to defeat Team Rocket. He had come to rescue the people of Pallet Town, who had been taken hostage—including his own mother. There was no way he could just stand by and do nothing.

"No… no, that's reckless. Normally, the boss would hole up in the highest level of a skyscraper. Charging straight into their lair would be suicide. But where else could they be holding the townsfolk? It's not the offices, not the mid-level floors… Wait! I get it! Aerodactyl, dive! We need to search the basement!"

Red stroked his chin, deep in thought, then suddenly snapped his fingers in realization. He clenched his fist, eyes burning with determination.

Just as Aerodactyl tilted into a dive—

"Well thought out, brat. But let's see if that cleverness can save your life!"

The voice was all too familiar. Red froze, eyes widening—when suddenly, a flash of blinding electricity consumed the edge of his vision. Instinct screamed, and he shouted a command. At the last instant, Aerodactyl twisted sharply aside, narrowly dodging the incoming beam.

Zzzraaa—!

There was no massive explosion—just the chilling, sizzling sound of something melting through steel.Red snapped his head back—and his pupils dilated in horror.

At the very heart of Saffron's financial district, where suited businessmen once bustled daily, a skyscraper now bore a gaping hole a full meter wide. Molten steel dripped down its edges, smoke curling into the sky. That single flash had pierced the entire building through.

"S-so powerful… What kind of attack was that?! If we'd been hit, Aerodactyl would be dead already!"

Red's voice shook. His Aerodactyl was newly revived, barely trained, more transport than fighter. Against such terrifying power, it didn't stand a chance.

"Quick, Aerodactyl! Get us to the ground!"

Knowing the air gave him no advantage,Red shouted frantically. Only on solid ground could he recall Aerodactyl and call upon his true battling team.

"HAHAHAHA! Learned your place yet, brat? Now taste Lt. Surge's Railgun Cannon!"

His maniacal laughter rang out. From a nearby corridor, Lt. Surge knelt with one knee pressed to the floor. A massive cannon barrel rested on his shoulder—so heavy that an Electabuzz had to brace it from behind.

Surge was clad in full combat gear, a soldier down to the last detail. Strapped across his chest and waist was a belt lined with Voltorb like grenades. Perched upon his other shoulder, wings spanning nearly five meters, loomed the majestic Zapdos.

The principle of his electromagnetic cannon was chillingly simple: Zapdos provided the magnetic force, while Surge manipulated the Ampère effect between the twin rails—launching Voltorb like shells at supersonic speed.

In modern times, railguns existed only mounted on naval warships—massive weapons requiring entire power plants to fire. Yet here was Surge, wielding one alone. With Zapdos' bottomless reserves of electricity, he could fire again and again without pause.

In this moment, Lt. Surge was no mere Gym Leader. He was a one-man army.

And while Red faced this crisis, Blue was already being swallowed into a storm of snow and ice…

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T/N:

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