Following closely behind Logan, Green dashed swiftly. The moment she heard the commotion in the sky, she instinctively lifted her head—only to see a blinding electromagnetic cannon tearing through the heavens, accompanied by an icy storm blanketing the atmosphere.

"Yeah… so we're not taking the sky route. We'll move straight across the ground."

Logan's sharp gaze swept the surroundings. This was the financial district in the very heart of Saffron City. Surprisingly, there were far fewer Rocket grunts than he'd anticipated. After a moment of thought, he realized why—most of their forces must have been deployed to choke off transit hubs and intercept Gym Leaders.

For a city as massive as Saffron—the largest in Kanto—Team Rocket simply didn't have the manpower to control everything.

Thus, Logan and Green opted for stealth over combat, carefully slipping through the shadows to infiltrate the towering Silph Co. building.

Green's stamina was remarkable—or perhaps, Logan mused, female Trainers in this world were all gifted with superhuman endurance. Hardened by years of survival in the wild, their bodies were built far stronger than ordinary people. He had experienced this firsthand with Erika, the Gym Leader of Celadon. Not only could she bend into impressive, intricate poses, but she also possessed the stamina to keep up with Logan through an entire night, leaving him deeply satisfied.

For a man, nothing was more blissful—when a woman's stamina was so great, he barely needed to move at all. Just a little training, and he could let her do everything while he sat back and enjoyed. Truly paradise.

Logan shook his head, dismissing the distracting thoughts as the looming skyscraper drew nearer.

"…Strange. Hardly any Rocket grunts are stationed here?"

He paused within a hundred meters of the building, crouching behind a lush garden bush. He had expected their leader's stronghold to be fiercely guarded. Instead, the defenses were shockingly lax.

"Of course… I forgot. Leaders in this world aren't like the ones I knew before."

Logan sighed and smacked his forehead. In his old world, crime lords were powerless men who needed armies to protect them. But here? Team Rocket's elites were Trainers—monsters in their own right. No number of grunts could rival their strength. It made more sense to redeploy troops elsewhere.

"Even better. If no one's guarding, let's just walk in boldly."

Straightening his collar with casual confidence, Logan strode toward the entrance—until Green tugged on his sleeve.

"What's wrong, Green? Did you notice something? Or… do you have another idea?"

He turned back, assuming she disagreed with his "walk in openly" approach.

Instead, Green tilted her head and asked, "Don't you have a Permanent Moon Stone?"

Logan blinked. "Yeah, I've got one. Want it? If you do, it's yours."

He fished into his pocket, producing the shimmering gem that Giovanni had once given him. Since it was useless to him, he didn't mind handing it over.

Green's lips curled into a sly smile, her voice lilting with playful affection. "Hehe~ If I'm taking something from my dear, then I have to give a return gift, don't I? Here—accept this as my token in exchange!"

The sudden intimacy in her tone—calling him dear—made Logan chuckle. He accepted the small object she pressed into his palm. A golden-hued stone.

"…A Permanent Thunder Stone."

Green leaned close, eyes glistening as if brimming with unshed tears. "Yes, dear. I knew you'd need it. I crossed mountains, suffered hardships, nearly broke down… but I still found it, all for you…"

Her trembling lips, the way she dabbed at the corner of her eye—it painted the perfect picture of tragic sacrifice.

Logan, however, wasn't fooled. Rubbing the stone with a deadpan expression, he muttered, "…If I had to guess, you probably just stole this off Lt. Surge's cabin during the S.S. Anne voyage, right?"

Her embarrassed silence said it all. Huffing, she quickly pulled him forward, pouting. "Ugh, enough questions! You'll just make a girl hate you if you dig too much. Didn't you say we need to take down Team Rocket?"

Logan laughed softly. "Fair enough. But… thank you. With this, I've completed the set of three. My Eevee might finally overcome its instability."

He fastened the Permanent Thunder Stone alongside the Fire and Water Stones already adorning Eevee's collar. The trio of gems glowed faintly, harmonizing. Perhaps their combined energy would finally stabilize Eevee's genetic volatility… maybe even unlock an entirely new form.

At the building's entrance, only two or three Rocket grunts stood guard. Logan didn't even need to lift a finger. Green's Pokémon easily dispatched them—after all, sneak attacks were her specialty.

Together, they pushed open the grand double doors of Silph Co. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary corporate lobby—lush plants arranged with aesthetic precision, soft sofas tucked neatly in the corners, and a sleek reception desk in front. Normally, it would be buzzing with employees. Now, it was eerily silent.

But the moment Logan and Green stepped across the threshold, everything changed.

A kaleidoscope of warped colors engulfed their vision, spinning wildly, twisting space. The very world fractured like a shattered mirror.

In an instant, Silph Co. was gone.

Dead vines. Bare, rotten trees. Crows screaming in the bloody twilight.

A ruined Gothic cathedral loomed in the distance, its crumbling spires silhouetted against a dying sun. Black crows perched on its roof, hundreds of them, their scarlet eyes fixed hungrily on Logan and Green. The stench of decay filled the air.

"…Sabrina. You really outdid yourself with this illusion."

Logan snapped around. Floating ten meters away, suspended in the air, was Sabrina—flanked by her Alakazam.

Her Rocket uniform clung tightly to her figure, highlighting every dangerous curve. Long legs sheathed in black stockings crossed elegantly, her porcelain face etched with cold detachment. She looked every bit the queen of this hellish nightmare.

"Logan," she said icily, her voice cutting through the dying world. "Did you really bring your little girlfriend here… to die?"

Logan opened his mouth. "Green isn't my—"

But he got no further.

Green suddenly threw herself against him, wrapping both arms around his torso, rubbing her body against his like she wanted to merge with him completely.

Her sultry eyes narrowed at Sabrina, brimming with mocking disdain. "Hmph! You bitter, lonely hag. Just look at this gloomy illusion—and your wrinkled, lifeless face. Anyone can tell you've never known love. With me and my dear together, you don't stand a chance!"

As she sneered, Green flicked her hair dramatically. Dangling from her ear, glinting under the crimson light, was none other than the Permanent Moon Stone Logan had given her—worn like a stylish earring.

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