Following closely behind Ryuuske, Green sprinted at full speed. When she heard the commotion in the sky, she instinctively looked up—only to witness a railgun blast piercing through the heavens and a blizzard engulfing the atmosphere.
"Hmm… So we're avoiding the skies and heading straight in from the ground."
Ryuuske remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings. This was the financial district at the heart of Saffron City, yet there were surprisingly few Team Rocket members around. After a moment's thought, Ryuuske concluded that most of Rocket's forces had likely been dispatched to the transportation hubs to intercept the Gym Leaders.
For a city as massive as Saffron, Team Rocket simply didn't have enough manpower to maintain complete control.
Ryuuske and Green moved stealthily, avoiding combat whenever possible, hoping to slip into Silph Co. undetected.
Green's stamina was exceptional—though, to be fair, most female Trainers in this world had freakish endurance. Their extensive survival training and fieldwork gave them physical conditioning far beyond ordinary people. Ryuuske had tested this firsthand with Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader—not only could she pull off incredibly demanding positions, but she had also kept up with him all night, leaving him thoroughly satisfied.
As long as they have the stamina, a little training is all it takes to just lie back and let them do all the work. Absolute bliss for a man.
Lost in his inappropriate musings, Ryuuske gradually closed in on the city's tallest skyscraper.
"Huh? There's barely any Rocket members guarding this place?"
He stopped about a hundred meters from the building, ducking into a nearby garden to observe Silph Co. carefully. He had assumed the Rocket Boss's stronghold would be heavily fortified, but contrary to expectations, security here was shockingly lax.
"Ah, right—these Trainers aren't normal people."
Ryuuske smacked his forehead in frustration. His experiences from another world had misled him. Team Rocket's top brass were all elite Trainers—completely different from the vulnerable leaders of his past life. No matter how many guards they had, their own strength was likely greater than any protection detail.
With manpower already stretched thin, it made more sense to deploy troops where they were needed most rather than waste them on personal security.
"Fewer guards works for me. Let's just walk right in."
Adjusting his collar, Ryuuske prepared to stride in boldly—until Green suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"What's wrong? Did you notice something, or do you have another idea?"
He turned to her, puzzled, assuming she objected to his direct approach.
"Wait, didn't you have an Eternal Moon Stone?"
But Green's thoughts were elsewhere as she posed an unexpected question.
"I do. Do you want it? It's yours if you do."
Rummaging through his pocket, Ryuuske pulled out the Eternal Moon Stone Giovanni had given him and handed it to her.
The thing was useless to him—if Green wanted it, he had no reason to refuse.
"Hehe~ Since you're giving me something, I should return the favor! Here—consider this an exchange for the Eternal Moon Stone!"
Green giggled, her tone suddenly dripping with affection as she slipped into calling him "honey." Ryuuske couldn't help but smirk at the sudden shift.
She pressed a small object into his palm. Lifting his hand, he saw a tiny golden stone.
"An Eternal Thunder Stone. You must need this right now, right? I went through so much trouble to get it—crossing mountains and rivers, suffering all kinds of hardships…"
Biting her lip, Green feigned tears, even wiping the corner of her eye dramatically—as if she'd endured unbearable trials just to gift him this stone.
Rubbing the Eternal Thunder Stone between his fingers, Ryuuske deadpanned:
"...Let me guess—you stole this from Lt. Surge's cabin on the S.S. Anne, didn't you?"
After some thought, Ryuuske figured the Electric-type Gym Leader was the only one who'd have—and regularly use—something like this.
Green stiffened for a second before yanking him forward, muttering, "A-Anyway, don't ask too many questions! Girls hate that! We've got a Rocket problem to deal with, remember?"
"Well, thanks regardless. With this, all three Eternal Stones are complete. Maybe Eevee will undergo some new changes now."
He fastened the Eternal Thunder Stone around the neck of the Eevee perched on his shoulder. Studying the three stones now adorning it, Ryuuske nodded in satisfaction. Between Eevee's current trained strength and the power of these stones, its side effects should be fully neutralized. In fact, the combined energy might even stimulate Eevee's unstable genome, potentially triggering a new evolution.
Only a handful of Rocket grunts stood guard at Silph Co.'s entrance. Ryuuske didn't even need to lift a finger—Green's Pokémon made quick work of them. When it came to ambushes, she was a seasoned expert.
Side by side, they stepped through the grand doors of the building. Inside, the first floor appeared to be a reception hall, tastefully decorated with lush greenery and plush sofas in each corner. The front desk stood directly opposite the entrance—once bustling with activity, now eerily silent, as if devoid of all life.
The moment they crossed the threshold, both froze.
The world twisted before their eyes—colors warping in grotesque patterns, as though they'd stepped into another dimension. Dizzying lights fractured reality like shattering glass.
One second, they were in Silph Co.
The next, they stood in a horror movie.
Withered vines, gnarled trees, cawing crows.
Rotting, leafless trunks jutted from the muddy earth. A dying sun bled over the horizon. A dilapidated Gothic church loomed a hundred meters ahead, its roof swarming with ravens whose shrill cries grated on the soul. Their blood-red eyes fixed on Ryuuske and Green as the very air reeked of decay.
"Sabrina, your illusion is impressively realistic."
Ryuuske whirled around—there, floating mere meters behind them, was Sabrina and her Alakazam, hovering just above the ground.
Clad in Team Rocket's form-fitting uniform, her curvaceous figure was accentuated, her black-stockinged legs crossed elegantly. Her porcelain face was frosty, her gaze as cold as the deathly wasteland around them—a queen ruling over this realm of despair.
"Ryuuske. Did you bring your little girlfriend here to die?"
Her voice, crisp and emotionless, echoed through the desolate landscape, sending chills down the spine.
"Green isn't my—"
Before he could finish, Green suddenly threw herself at him, clinging tightly as if trying to merge into his body.
Peering up at their surroundings with her fox-like, almost seductive eyes, she shot Sabrina a haughty, disdainful glare.
"Tch. Dark-hearted old hag, just surrender already. Just look at this depressing scenery and the wrinkles on your face—it's obvious how barren your love life is. There's no way you can beat me and honey together!"
As she spoke, she flicked a strand of hair behind her ear—revealing the Eternal Moon Stone, now dangling from her earlobe like an earring.
To be continued…