Woman's heart was always intricate, sharp, and impossibly delicate.
Especially the heart of a woman who had just lost her first time—confused, anxious, and utterly vulnerable.
Unlike what happens in the world of the mind, things that take place in reality always carve themselves far deeper into memory. Even if, in the spiritual realm, she had been toyed with and manipulated far more cruelly, none of that compared to the unforgettable sting of a single, fleeting moment in the real world.
Reality would always weigh more than illusion.
"It's just… a friend looking for me."
Logan spoke without hesitation.
"That girl?"
For some reason, Sabrina's mind flashed to Green—the mischievous girl who had nearly been killed by her not long ago.
"No. Just… a friend."
Logan shook his head, denying her guess. He didn't think it was a lie. Erika was indeed a friend—just a friend he had accidentally, somehow, ended up in bed with.
He crouched down in front of Sabrina. Beneath the torn remains of her clothes, a slender white leg extended, pale skin glowing faintly under the darkness, her delicate foot like polished jade. Logan's hand, almost without thought, came down upon it, his palm gently stroking the softness of her skin.
Sabrina's foot twitched; it tickled. Instinctively she tried to pull away—but when she noticed the tenderness in Logan's touch, she bit her lip and remained still, allowing him to caress her ankle.
"Here's the plan: I'll go lead my friend away so she doesn't find you. At the same time, I'll 'explain' the truth to the League. You'll stay here for now. At dawn, I'll call for you to return to the Saffron Gym and give your statement to the League."
Logan's eyes glinted sharply as his tone suddenly turned cold:
"…But I'll leave Mew here with you. If the League honors its word, then all is well. But if they dare break their promise… if they try to seize you in your weakened state, or even take your life, I will order Mew to annihilate every single League officer in Saffron. And then—I'll send Mewtwo straight to Indigo Plateau and wipe the entire Kanto League headquarters off the map."
"...So you needn't worry about your safety."
He placed her hand against his chest, as if swearing a vow. His heartbeat thudded steadily under her palm.
For Sabrina, who could so easily sense emotions, Logan's sincerity was unmistakable. The frost on her face thawed. She tightened her fingers around his and whispered softly:
"…Be careful yourself."
At last, her suspicion wasn't on his "friend." Relief swept over Logan.
The girls he met—all of them—were far too perceptive. Lying to them was impossible. Thankfully, his unfeigned honesty was enough to move her.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it."
After a few more gentle reassurances, Logan finally rose to leave.
As he turned a corner, he found Mew hovering in the abandoned hallway, spinning and twirling like a playful child. He explained the task. The legendary Pokémon blinked its large eyes, nodded cheerfully, and obediently drifted off to stay by Sabrina's side.
Mew might have seemed childish, but it was still a Pokémon—once it accepted a Trainer, it would instinctively follow orders.
Sabrina watched Logan's silhouette disappear into the shadows. Her face softened for just a moment before hardening once more, her eyes turning icy as she stared at the moonlight pouring through the shattered roof. Her fists clenched, her resolve solidifying.
If the day came when the world turned against him, she would abandon everything—her status, her duty, her entire life—to follow Logan.
Because when a man is willing to stand against the entire world for you, what more could a woman's heart possibly ask for?
…
Hours earlier, while Logan and Sabrina were entwined in the heat of their storm, an uninvited guest had stepped into the ruins of the Silph Co. building.
It was none other than Giovanni—the Rocket Boss who had vanished midway through his battle with Logan.
Alone, he wandered across the debris, as though searching for something.
Suddenly, a raspy voice echoed from afar.
"Looking for this, Giovanni?"
He raised his head. There, leaning on a cane yet standing tall, was an elderly woman. Her smile was eerie, almost ghastly, and in her hand she held a stone tablet embedded with three ancient badges.
"Agatha…"
Giovanni's eyes narrowed, his tone dripping with disdain.
"So. The Kanto Elite Four have finally bowed to the League completely. No wonder my Psychic Barrier Corps was dismantled so swiftly. It was your doing."
For a master of Ghost-types like Agatha, eliminating an army of Psychic Pokémon controlled by ordinary Trainers was child's play—even if they numbered in the hundreds.
It had been her intervention that shattered Saffron's barrier, forcing Giovanni to retreat.
"Hehehehe… Oh? Do you really want to fight me now? Careful, Giovanni. Your battle with that boy drained your Pokémon. Do you really think you can stop me in your current state?"
Agatha's eyes gleamed coldly. Her experience in dissecting people with a single glance made Giovanni's fatigue all too clear.
"Hmph!"
Giovanni's snarl was a volcano suppressed, barely contained.
"You're mistaken about one thing. I didn't come here for the League. Nor for the Elite Four. These badges? I simply took them because they were there. I imagine Lance will be quite pleased to see them."
Agatha casually plucked the badges from the stone slab and pocketed them.
"I'm old. I've no patience for the League, the Four, or even your Rocket schemes. There's only one thing left that I care about… But Giovanni, you should never, ever have touched Pallet Town."
Giovanni's brow twitched, puzzled.
Agatha tapped her cane against the rubble and raised her head, her voice echoing like a ghostly dirge:
"…I may despise him for abandoning me all those years ago, for refusing to change even when our research diverged… but Pallet Town was his pride, his life's greatest work. And I will never allow anyone to destroy it."
Her expression shifted—part sorrow, part fury. It was the contradiction of love and hate entwined.
"I'm not here to listen to your dusty old love stories," Giovanni sneered.
"Dusty? Hehehe… Giovanni, weren't you once part of such a story yourself? Didn't you even have a 'child of love' as its proof?"
Her voice dissolved into mocking laughter as her body melted into smoke. Before Giovanni could lash out, the ghostly mist swallowed her form entirely, leaving nothing behind.
When he confirmed she was truly gone, the fury drained from Giovanni's face as though it had all been an act. His expression sharpened, calculating.
"I don't fear the Elite Four taking the badges. What I fear is if they don't take them…"
From his tattered suit, Giovanni pulled a badge—the original emblem of Viridian Gym.
"The task of the Elite Four… is the same as mine. Let them go ahead. Let them draw every eye in the world. I'll be the one watching from the shadows, waiting for my moment…"
He smiled, the kind of smile that promised schemes far from finished, and disappeared into the ruins.
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