Read advance chapters of all my works or want to support me.
https://www.p.a.t.r.e.on.com/Adamo_Amet
....
Join us on discord:
https://discord.gg/DXv2nkTB
•••••••••••••••••
The next morning, deep within the Articuno Base, Sabrina was seething. Not just annoyed. Not just irritated. She was royally pissed. Her fingers tapped against the armrest of her chair.... sharp, rhythmic, each movement precise and calculated. Just like her. Her subordinates were a trio of utter idiots.
Not only had they been acting outside the base's jurisdiction, but they had wasted organization resources on personal nonsense.
A security camera system.
Not for the base. Not for surveillance of League threats. Not for anything remotely useful but for whatever ridiculous, harebrained scheme they had gotten themselves involved in this time.
Sabrina's jaw clenched.
Did these three even know how much that cost? This was an active mission. A serious one. And instead of preparing, instead of following orders, they were wasting funds, playing pretend, and embarrassing the organization.
Worse…
If word of this reached the boss… Sabrina exhaled slowly, forcing down the irritation.
No.
She would handle this personally. She had no interest in getting reprimanded for their incompetence.
The moment Sabrina stepped onto Cerulean Gym's grounds, she felt it. The weight of a thousand thoughts slamming into her mind all at once.
It was always like this.
Voices. Whispers. Some loud, some faint, all pressing against the edges of her consciousness. A never-ending stream of human noise. She had long since trained herself to filter them out, to let them wash over her like waves against a shore. But sometimes—sometimes—they slipped through.
And today was one of those days.
Her head tilted slightly as she instinctively honed in on the loudest thoughts. They're so elegant. So stunning. Like real-life mermaids.
Sabrina's lip curled. Pathetic.
Her purple eyes flickered toward the source of the adoration. The Cerulean Sisters. They moved in perfect synchronization. Their routine? Flawless. Their expressions? Effortless.
She tried... tried to block it out.
But the emotion behind their thoughts clung to her like static.
She's gorgeous. They're perfect. I wish I could be like them.
Sabrina's jaw tightened. She had heard adoration before. But never for her. People didn't admire her. They didn't look at her like that. They only ever saw a monster. A freak. A psychic.
"Your strength makes you more beautiful than anyone." Giovanni's words whispered in the back of her mind.
But they rang hollow. Because beauty wasn't measured in power. Not to them. She could crush every single person here with a thought, yet none of them would look at her the way they looked at those sisters. Her fingers curled into her palm. She exhaled slowly, pushing it away.
This is irrelevant.
She turned from the performance, disinterested. Let the weak be enamored by trivial things. She had a job to do. Her mind reached outward, her psychic abilities locking onto their signatures. She pinpointed their location instantly and froze.
"…How is that possible?"
Her head snapped toward the back area of the gym, where the trio's auras sat—next to another one that felt wrong.
Sabrina moved without hesitation, stepping into the back area of the gym. She barely had to open the door.
The moment she entered, the entire atmosphere shifted. Conversations halted. Tension thickened. Every muscle in the room went rigid. Jessie, James, and Meowth shot up from their seats.
"E-Executive Sabrina!"
Meanwhile, Austin simply stared.
His expression was unreadable, but there was a sharpness behind his eyes. Like he was already calculating. Already adjusting. Already preparing for something.
Sabrina's gaze locked onto him and she felt it. That wrongness. It was him. His aura was… damaged. Not weak. Not fragile. But torn. Like someone had ripped through it, stitched it back haphazardly, and then tore through it again.
She had seen many things in her time as a psychic. But she had never seen this. Her fingers twitched. Her eyes glowed faintly, psychic energy swelling as she reached outward. Probing. Trying to see. To understand. To find out what the hell had happened to this kid.
Austin knew immediately when Sabrina tried to invade his mind.
Her eyes glowed, the color intensifying as an unnatural pressure pressed against his thoughts. It was subtle like a thread being carefully woven through the fabric of his brain. She's trying to read me.
Austin's expression remained neutral, but internally, he sighed. He had expected this. He had prepared for this. Because for all the mystique surrounding psychics and mind-reading, he knew the truth.
It was all surface level.
Even Psychic-type Pokémon couldn't sift through the thousands of neural connections firing per second inside a healthy human brain. There was simply too much noise. Too much information flooding in from the conscious and subconscious mind.
So what did that mean?
It meant Sabrina wasn't reading his deepest secrets. She was only getting what was at the forefront of his thoughts. And Austin had full control of what sat there. So, like any rational person he weaponized it.
Austin didn't start off strong. Oh no, this was psychological warfare. And he was going to ease Sabrina into the horrors of a teenage boy's mind like a frog slowly boiling in water. So, he began with something harmless.
In his mind's eye, he dropped to one knee, holding out a ring. "Sabrina," his mental projection whispered, voice trembling with emotion. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
The real Sabrina froze.
Austin barely held back a smirk. Oh, this was gonna be good.
Sabrina forced herself past the distraction. Cute, she thought. Pathetic, but cute.
Austin, taking this as a direct challenge, cranked things up a notch. Suddenly, in his mind, Sabrina was standing on a beach. Wearing a bikini. The real Sabrina's eyebrows twitched. A faint dusting of red touched her pale cheeks. But she pushed deeper into his thoughts, determined to break his concentration.
Austin's grin widened. Oh, she wants to fight dirty? Well, alright then. He pictured her slowly untying her top.
has stopped working.
The psychic gasped sharply, her entire body stiffening as if someone had just poured cold water down her spine. But Austin wasn't done. Oh no, he was only getting started. Now, in the safety of his own mind, he imagined grabbing her by the waist, yanking her in close, his lips trailing down her neck as he...
Sabrina's entire brain crashed.
A full-body spasm. A nosebleed worthy of an anime protagonist. Her legs wobbled, her breath caught in her throat, and her once stoic and unreadable expression had dissolved into pure, unfiltered embarrassment.
Austin barely held back his laugh.
Across the room, Team Rocket was watching this trainwreck unfold in absolute awe.
James blinked slowly, eyes flicking between Austin and the retreating form of Sabrina. He then turned to Jessie, voice low and serious. "…What is happening?"
"Well, the executive came in, looked at the boss, and blushed."
A long silence stretched between them.
Meowth's ears twitched as he finally broke it. "…Oh, she's totally in love."
Pikachu, meanwhile, continued munching on his cracker, slowly dipping it into a puddle of ketchup, as if he were watching the most entertaining soap opera of his life.
Sabrina, breathing heavily, forced herself to regain her composure. She snapped her head toward the Team Rocket trio. "You. My office. One hour."
Jessie, James, and Meowth visibly gulped.
Austin, still feeling reckless as hell, took a casual step forward. Sabrina immediately took a step back. Her eyes darted to the side, suddenly very interested in the wallpaper. "I hired them for work," he said smoothly. "And I pay them good money. Maybe you should consider that before dragging them away."
Sabrina whipped back around, her glare sharp but still flustered as hell.
"…Fine," she muttered. "I'll see them after they're done."
She turned, storming toward the exit, clearly desperate to escape. But right before she reached the doorway—she hesitated. Then, slowly, she glanced over her shoulder.
"…How old are you?"
"Ten."
Sabrina, against her better judgment, took one last peek into his what she saw… The girl clenched her jaw, snapped her eyes shut, and gritted out one final command.
"Find. God."
Then, with a dramatic flick of her cape, she stormed out. The moment the door slammed shut, Austin finally let out the wicked laugh he had been , sighing contentedly, finished his cracker.
"Pika."
James turned to Jessie. "…Does this mean the boss is dating Executive Sabrina now?"
Jessie shrugged. "I mean, she's already at the 'pretending she doesn't like him' phase. They'll be making out by next Tuesday."
Meowth, shaking his head, let out a long sigh. "Da boss got game, I tell ya."
Austin just sweatdropped at the trio's words, his gaze drifting toward the door Sabrina had just slammed shut.
He sighed. This was getting out of hand. I just hope I don't have to deal with the Gym Leader Triad… That alone would be a pain, but the thought of the Elite Four terrorists?
Austin immediately shoved that thought deep into the abyss of his mind. Nope. Not even gonna think about that. That was just jinxing it. Still, at the very least, he hoped Green would figure out what Team Rocket was planning in Cerulean before everything went to hell. Because if there was one thing Austin knew it was that things were never this easy.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Sabrina stormed down the sidewalk, her steps clipped, her expression a carefully maintained mask of neutrality.
But inside her mind was an absolute battlefield.
What she had seen in that brat's thoughts…
It was extremely perverted. And the worst part? It was about her. Her. Of all people.
Not the elegant Cerulean Sisters. Not some pretty idol. Not even some other trainer he admired.
Her.
Her, with her cold gaze and unnerving presence. Her—a freak. A psychic to be feared and avoided. Not once in her life had anyone looked at her with attraction. Not once had she been desired.
And yet, that boy…
Sabrina's hands clenched into fists. Her psychic energy flared without her meaning to, causing a nearby streetlight to flicker violently. Her breath was shaky. Not out of anger. Not out of disgust.
But because she didn't know how to process it. And she hated that. Why… Why did that little bastard, of all people, have to be the first to think of her that way?!
And why… why did it not bother her?
"Executive Sabrina, you're back." One of the guards outside the Articuno Base saluted her, barely looking up from his security post.
She exhaled, forcing her mind back into professionalism. "Report."
"Your subordinate returned," the guard said.
Sabrina frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Jessie, I think her name was. She came back right after you left."
Sabrina's expression blanked.
Impossible. She had just seen Jessie, James, and Meowth at the tournament with that boy. Her gut twisted. Something was wrong. "Where is she now?"
"Inside the base, working," the guard answered.
Sabrina said nothing. Her instincts were never wrong. And right now? They were screaming at her. She turned on her heel and marched into the base.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Deep within the Articuno Base...Green moved effortlessly through the shadows. She had played her part well—disguised as Jessie, blending in with Team Rocket's grunts, charming her way into casual conversations to extract valuable intel.
And now?
She had everything she needed. A sleek USB drive sat in her palm, filled with sensitive Rocket data. Plans, research logs, classified orders—even enough dirt to make a killing on the black smirk widened behind her stolen Team Rocket mask. Too easy. The communication room was littered with unconscious guards, tied up neatly in the corner. She had knocked them out one by one, making sure to erase the security footage.
Now all that's left is to....
BOOM.
The metal doors exploded off their hinges. Dust and smoke billowed outward, the sheer force rattling the walls. Green's heart leapt into her throat. Through the clearing haze, a figure emerged. Tall. Composed. Eyes glowing with unrestrained fury.
Sabrina.
And beside her, standing like an executioner awaiting the order, was her Kadabra. Green didn't need psychic powers to know that she was in deep shit.
"Well, well, well." Sabrina's voice was like a predator enjoying the hunt. "Looks like we had a Rattata sneaking around."
Green straightened, masking her nerves with a perfectly practiced expression of innocence. "B-Boss?" She gasped, putting on her best 'damsel in distress' act. "Is… is something wrong? You look… stressed. Maybe a spa day would help?"
Sabrina's eye twitched. Green kept going. "Or a face mask? You know, they say hydration works wonders for..."
"Don't bother." Sabrina's voice dropped an octave, her aura pressing down on the room like a stormfront. Her next words were absolute. "Your mind has already given you away."
Kadabra's spoon slashed through the air, sending a razor-sharp Psycho Cut straight for her.
"Ditty!"
Her Ditto reacted instantly, morphing into Kadabra and raising a Reflect barrier. A green wall of light materialized, absorbing the brunt of the attack. But the shockwave still sent Green skidding backward.
She cursed under her breath. This was bad. She needed an escape. Fast. Her hand flew to her Pokéball belt, releasing her Abra.
"Teleport!"
Nothing happened.
"H-Huh?"
Sabrina let out a mocking sigh, shaking her head. "Pfft. Don't tell me that was your grand escape plan? A simple Teleport?" Her eyes glowed brighter, her power thrumming through the air. "You're seriously underestimating me."
Green clenched her fists. She wasn't just underestimating Sabrina—she had completely miscalculated.
Shit.
"You really think I wouldn't have countermeasures for Psychic-types?" Sabrina tilted her head, as if talking to a child. "Psychic abilities don't come from within, you know." Her gloved fingers traced a slow circle in the air, her voice laced with condescension. "They're drawn from the Dream Realm. A frequency."
She flicked her fingers outward and Green felt it. A pulse of energy, a disruptor wave like a static shock that sent a ripple through the room. Abra whined, body stiffening as its abilities cut out completely.
Green gritted her teeth.
"You jammed psychic frequencies?"
"Ding, ding."
"…That's kinda hot. Can you teach me?"
Sabrina stumbled slightly, caught off guard. She coughed, regaining her composure. "Why don't you try using your pretty little head for once?" "Why would I?" Green scoffed. "When I can use my smoking hot body instead?"
And with that she struck a pose. One hand on her hip, the other playfully brushing through her hair. A sultry smirk. Her chest pushed forward—very intentionally. She even added a slow, dramatic bounce, just for effect.
Sabrina's eye twitched again.
"Oh?" Green mused, voice turning mockingly sweet.
She deliberately glanced down at herself, then back up at Sabrina. Then down. Then up. A slow, wicked smirk stretched across Green's face.
"Cheap shot... Hmph."
But Green could see it. That tiny spark of frustration in Sabrina's otherwise stoic face. That little twitch in her expression. That tiny, almost imperceptible flicker of jealousy. Green couldn't resist twisting the knife.
"Aww… Are you jealous, sweetheart?"
And that was the last straw. Sabrina SNAPPED. With a flick of her wrist, she launched Green backward, slamming her into the wall.
"You. Bitch."
Green coughed, but still grinned. "Aw, don't be mad just 'cause no boys wanna give you attention, freak!"
Sabrina saw red and in her anger, her powers weakened just as Green's chest suddenly deflated. A bunch of Poké Balls tumbled to the floor.
"…Did you seriously tape Poké Balls to your chest?"
"Gotcha."
The two Poké Balls burst open. A Jigglypuff and a Clefairy emerged, both immediately using Sing and Disarming Voice. The high-pitched soundwaves hit full force, breaking Sabrina's fragile focus just long enough.
Green hit the ground running.
"Tear gas, Ditty!"
Ditto-Kadabra released a smoke bomb, flooding the room with thick white gas.
Kadabra tried to counter but it was too late. Green's Abra clung to her arm as they vanished in a flash of light.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Sabrina let out a frustrated yell and launched a chair across the room.
CRASH.
It splintered against the wall, leaving a very impressive dent.
But it didn't help. Not even a little. Her entire body was practically vibrating with frustration. Her mind kept looping back to the fight.
Not the actual battle, of course.
No.
It was Green's words that dug into her skull like a damn parasite. "Aw, don't be mad just 'cause no boys wanna give you attention, freak!"
Sabrina gritted her hated how true those words were. Because—ugh—she was a freak. People didn't look at her the way they looked at other girls.
They looked at her with fear.
Caution. Respect, sure but never affection. Which was fine. She didn't need affection. She had power.
…Right?
But then, a terrible realization hit her. Wait a was a boy who had given her attention. A boy who hadn't looked at her with fear. A boy who had boldly stood in her presence—held eye contact, challenged her and then proceeded to mentally project an entire lewd fanfiction in real-time.
Sabrina froze. Her face slowly turned red.
Oh no.
No.
NO.
She refused to let this be her reality. Her first real, genuine male attention and it was from a ten-year-old pervert. Sabrina's eye twitched violently. Her entire face burned.
"…I hate my life."
She buried her head in her hands, groaning. Kadabra, standing nearby, just patted her on the shoulder.
There, there.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[Author's Note:]
Well, that was a wild chapter, wasn't it? Hope you all enjoyed the chaos!
Also, fun fact... Green using Poké Balls as fake assets is actually straight from Pokémon Adventures (Chapter 32, for those curious). Since she pulled that trick on Team Rocket's Sabrina, I figured it'd be a fun little reference to work into this version of their encounter.
Now, I wanted to get your thoughts on something:
What do you guys think of Sabrina's characterization so far?
And more importantly… how do you feel about expanding on this weird, accidental dynamic between her and Austin?
Right now, Sabrina thinks Austin is into her, which, let's be rea, would be hilarious, especially since she has such low self-esteem and sees herself as a "freak" no one could possibly love.
So, I'm floating the idea of actually developing this into a relationship but only if I take the time to build it properly. No "Sabrina and Austin end up together just because I say so." If I go this route, I want it to have real growth, conflict, and chemistry.
Let me know what you think!
Would you be interested in seeing this dynamic play out?
Or do you think Austin has enough problems already? (Because, let's be honest… he does.)
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!