Silver's heart sank as dust and debris cleared, revealing the aftermath of Crobat's brutal attack. Ash stood at ground zero, and Silver feared the worst—no human could withstand such a hit.
Pidgeotto froze, stunned, and opened its beak as if to speak but no words came out.
"Hahahahaha!" Petrel's voice cut through the tension, filled with sinister glee. "That's what happens when you go up against Team Rocket! A human body can't survive an attack from my Crobat!"
Suddenly, a cold female voice echoed through the smoke, cutting off Petrel's laughter. "You're right. A human body can't withstand your Crobat's attack…"
**Boom!** A surge of psychic energy dispersed the smoke, revealing an energy barrier around Ash, protecting him from Crobat's deadly assault.
"What?!" Petrel's grin vanished, his face twisted with shock.
Emerging from the smoke was Sabrina, her expression calm and cold. Standing beside her was an Alakazam, its power palpable. Crobat's attack had been deflected by its **Protect**.
"Sabrina..." Petrel muttered, his voice full of disbelief. Of all people, he hadn't expected the powerful Saffron City Gym Leader to intervene.
Sabrina's eyes were locked on Petrel, emotionless. "Alakazam, **Psychic**."
Without moving a muscle, Sabrina's command resonated in Alakazam's mind. The Psychic-type Pokémon raised its spoons, and a pink-purple glow enveloped Crobat. The bat was lifted into the air, completely helpless, before being hurled straight at Petrel.
Petrel barely dodged the attack, leaping aside as Crobat smashed through the wall behind him, sending debris flying and revealing the city skyline beyond.
**Crash!** Crobat hit the ground, struggling to move beneath the rubble. The force of Alakazam's Psychic had almost knocked it out completely.
"Miss Sabrina..." Ash stared in awe, his breath finally steadying. He had truly believed he was going to die.
"Thank you..." Ash whispered, still shaken, but Sabrina's calm words startled him.
"No need to thank me. I don't want the person I like to die here." Sabrina's expression remained unreadable, but her words held a hint of warmth—though no one had time to dwell on it.
Meanwhile, the situation on the lower floors had escalated. Alliance forces stormed the building, quickly overpowering the Team Rocket grunts stationed on the first floor. Battles broke out throughout the building, and the tide was turning against Team Rocket.
"Damn it!" Petrel hissed, his mind racing. Sabrina's arrival had thrown a wrench in his plans, and now it seemed the entire operation had failed. With Sabrina here, there was no way he could capture Silver, and his Crobat was no match for Alakazam.
Realizing the futility of continuing, Petrel spat venomous words at Ash. "You've made an enemy of Team Rocket, kid. We won't forget this!"
Sabrina's cold eyes narrowed as she took a step forward. "You still have time to threaten others? You should worry about yourself." With a wave of her hand, she prepared to give Alakazam another command. She had no intention of letting Petrel escape.
But Petrel acted quickly, leaping backward through the hole Crobat had made in the wall. He didn't hesitate, even though the drop to the ground was over 50 meters.
"What?!" Even Sabrina was caught off guard by his reckless escape, missing her chance to stop him.
From beneath the rubble, Crobat stirred, shaking off the debris. It darted through the hole, catching Petrel mid-air. Petrel clung to Crobat's tail as they soared into the night sky, escaping the building. Petrel abandoned the rest of Team Rocket's forces, not caring about Archer or the remaining grunts still fighting inside.
Ash and Sabrina rushed to the edge of the broken wall, but Petrel had already vanished into the distance.
"Archer is still in the building—on the seventh floor!" Ash quickly realized. They had lost Petrel, but they could still capture Archer.
Sabrina nodded silently. With a hand on Alakazam's back, she teleported them both away, heading to the seventh floor.
---
That evening, the news broadcast reported the events of the day. "A special report: the criminal organization Team Rocket infiltrated Silph Co. today, but thanks to the swift action of the Alliance, 74 members of Team Rocket have been arrested…"
The TV screen flashed images of Silph Co. and police vehicles surrounding the building. Despite the victory, the report mentioned that two high-ranking members of Team Rocket, Petrel and Archer, managed to escape.
At the Pokémon Center, Ash, Misty, and Brock watched the news report while eating dinner. Misty shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe Team Rocket is bold enough to invade Silph Co. It's one of the biggest companies in the world!"
"They've been more active lately," Brock said thoughtfully. "Something big must be going on."
Ash, however, sat quietly, deep in thought. He wasn't paying much attention to the news. The battle with Petrel had shaken him to his core. He had faced one of the Four Generals of Team Rocket, and yet he had been completely outmatched.
**I still have so far to go...** Ash clenched his fists under the table. **Petrel was just one of the Four Generals. If I can't even handle him, what chance do I have against Giovanni?**
He glanced at Pikachu, who was equally silent. "Pikachu… we have to train harder. We're not strong enough yet."
"Pika…" Pikachu's eyes reflected the same determination, the realization of how much further they both had to go hitting home. The arrogance that came with recent successes had vanished. They knew, now more than ever, that the road ahead was long and difficult. But they were ready to face it together.
The next challenge awaited.
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