The air was thick with ambiguity, the ruins reeking of dust, smoke, and something else—something intimate, something dangerous—that stirred thoughts best left unspoken.

Sabrina leaned weakly against the collapsed wall of a ruined skyscraper. The shredded remnants of her Rocket uniform clung desperately to her body, failing to cover the pale, snowy skin beneath, skin now marred by dirt and blood. Her cold, complex eyes lifted toward the figure standing on the broken edge of the building—Logan—staring out over the ruined Saffron City.

Every girl has a dream. To find a man who loves her, and whom she can love in return. Even Sabrina—stoic, feared, untouchable—was not exempt from that yearning.

In fact, her longing was fiercer than most.

Her cold exterior did not mirror her heart. Within her chest burned a fiery desire, one that reached for heaven while trapped in hell, desperate to break free from the ice that bound her.

Because of her childhood, because of the isolation forced upon her by her powers, she craved those simple, ordinary things others took for granted. In that way, Sabrina and Caitlin were alike. But Sabrina was stronger—she had endured her suffering alone, without anyone’s hand to hold.

Meeting this man—Logan—she could not decide if it was her greatest fortune or her ultimate curse.

Would he lead her toward the heaven she dreamed of… or drag her deeper into hell?

Her heart was a tangled storm she couldn’t unravel.

Back in that cave beneath Mt. Moon, Sabrina had already known she would never forget him. Logan had planted the seed of his existence deep into her mind and soul. It was permanent. Inescapable. Unless she could defeat him—crush him utterly—she could never free herself. She would have to turn the tables and make him drown instead.

But she had failed.

With each encounter, the closer she came to him, the more she felt the truth—even if she refused to admit it—she had developed feelings for him.

The heart of a girl is like poetry: once feelings take root, they grow deeper, pulling her down into a whirlpool she cannot escape. Even her actions began to betray her.

She had once sworn to make him suffer, to fight to the death if needed. Yet now, when the moment came, she found herself… holding back.

When Logan fought Giovanni, Sabrina could have unleashed the legendary birds upon him recklessly. Logan might not have emerged unscathed—he could even have lost his life. Yet Sabrina deliberately avoided such an attack, instead choosing flimsy excuses to fight Red and Blue.

Red and Blue had already been weakened from battling Lt. Surge and Koga. With the legendary birds’ speed and power, Sabrina didn’t even need to waste time with them—she could have joined Giovanni directly to overwhelm Logan.

But she hadn’t.

Instead, only after Giovanni retreated did she truly unleash the birds against Logan. And even then… deep down she knew she could not defeat him. She only fought him because she knew he wouldn’t lose.

What was this? Hypocrisy? Self-deception? Sabrina didn’t know.

Because of her collusion, Team Rocket had easily seized Saffron. And because of her deliberate restraint against Logan, Giovanni’s grand plan crumbled to dust.

Sabrina gained nothing. Nothing at all.

But in the end, just as Logan had foretold—she had destroyed her own home with her own hands.

If her parents, if the kind townsfolk who had once treated her kindly, could see what she had done—they would be devastated.

Sabrina was still human. Her heart was still flesh, no matter how many called her a doll. She was, after all, only an eighteen-year-old girl.

And she regretted it.

The setting sun cast lonely golden light over the ruined city. Once, this time of evening meant Saffron came alive with laughter, people returning home after work, the city buzzing with joy.

Now only distant explosions and flashes of fire lit the streets—the last struggles of Rocket stragglers refusing to surrender.

“What are you doing?”

Her voice cracked softly as she watched Logan. He stood with his back to her, fingers moving swiftly across his Pokédex as if messaging someone.

The tone in her voice was unlike anything before—soft, fragile.

Though losing her first time in such a devastated place was anything but romantic, Sabrina, weary to her soul, now clung to Logan as if he were her only support. Her voice carried a desperate loneliness, like a frightened rabbit terrified of being abandoned.

She feared Logan might turn his back, walk away, and leave her as nothing more than a discarded toy. That would break her completely.

“…Good news,” Logan said at last, sensing the tremor in her heart. He closed his Pokédex and turned to face her. “A friend informed me of the League’s decision. They’ve chosen not to pursue punishment against you. As long as you cooperate with the League’s investigation and accept temporary surveillance, you’ll be spared.”

“…Given your strength as a psychic, surveillance will be difficult. It’ll likely fade into nothing. They’ve decided Giovanni alone will shoulder all the blame. You still have contact with Koga and Lt. Surge, right? Tell them this: if they wish to abandon Team Rocket, they can return to their cities and submit to investigation. If not… then they’ll share Giovanni’s fate—marked as wanted criminals.”

The League’s power was limited. Many strong trainers ignored its commands. But in the wake of such chaos, only the League could attempt to restore order.

Logan didn’t tell her the message came from Erika. He saw no need to add that detail.

The moment Logan spoke to her, Sabrina’s dread eased. Her heart, which had threatened to leap from her chest, slowly calmed. A faint smile touched her pale lips.

As long as he was still willing to speak to her—it was enough.

She bit her bloodless lips, then nodded. “I’ll inform them. I can’t speak for Surge… but Koga will accept. He has no choice.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Logan asked.

“…Because Koga has a daughter,” Sabrina explained quietly. “He’s mentioned her more than once, but his ties to Team Rocket have kept him from being close to her. He’s afraid of dragging her down.”

Logan understood.

Surge was unattached, free to choose either path. But Koga… Koga had something to protect. He would not risk being branded a criminal. He was no Giovanni.

The League may have declared Giovanni a wanted man, but they would never truly pursue him. Not because they didn’t want to—but because they couldn’t. Giovanni was too powerful. Even if the Elite Four united, the price of victory would be unthinkable. How many would survive such a clash?

That was the power of bonds. Bonds give humans strength beyond imagining. But bonds also force them into compromise.

“Hmm?”

Logan’s Pokédex vibrated again. He checked it. Erika’s name flashed across the screen. She was asking where he was.

He glanced back at Sabrina, his brow furrowing.

——————–

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