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"Janine, we're both members of Team Rocket. There's no need to go all-out trying to kill each other right away. I don't have the item."
Facing the current situation and the murderous aura radiating from the kunoichi before her, the intense sense of danger left the psychic Maya under enormous pressure. She steadied herself and lifted her chin to face the ninja girl, Janine.
Psychics also varied greatly in strength, and it largely depended on one's innate talent. The gap between psychics could be as wide as a chasm—one that could never be bridged in a lifetime.
Maya was indeed a psychic, but her natural ability was on the lower end. Compared to someone like Sabrina, the difference was like night and day, completely incomparable.
That psychic barrier she had just erected—an invisible force field—had nearly exhausted all of Maya's mental energy. She had no means left to defend against Janine's next ferocious strike. If it had been Sabrina in her place, Janine would have already been subdued.
Still, being a psychic born in the slums of Saffron City gave Maya a unique path forward.
When she unexpectedly awakened her psychic powers, she boldly recommended herself to the famed Psychic Queen of Kanto—Sabrina. To her astonishment, Sabrina accepted her and even brought her into her elite psychic guard. It felt like a dream.
From that point on, Maya's life completely changed.
With Sabrina's guidance, Maya quickly mastered some psychic techniques and successfully transformed from a street punk into a mysterious psychic.
Out of admiration and devotion, Maya—one of Sabrina's most ardent followers—gained her trust through unwavering loyalty and became one of her most trusted members within Team Rocket.
Currently, Maya was still considered a "rookie" grunt within Team Rocket, so she qualified to participate in the Rookie Battle Competition. Sabrina had personally instructed her to enter and at least place within the top ten.
Since it was a direct order from Lady Sabrina, Maya accepted it without question. Thanks to Sabrina's training, her strength had already reached the level of a top-tier elite Trainer.
After learning telepathy, even peak-level elite Trainers were no longer guaranteed to defeat her.
Because of this, Maya easily completed the early Rookie Competition missions and smoothly made her way to the port in Pallet Town.
There, she happened to run into two familiar faces also participating in the Rookie Competition: Janine, the kunoichi from Fuchsia City, and Marlos, the "Little Thunder God" of Vermilion.
Janine was the daughter of Koga, Fuchsia Gym's leader. Although only 13 years old, she had been personally trained by one of the top ninjas since childhood.
Her ninja skills, fused with Pokémon techniques, were already quite refined. Whether it was tracking or assassination, she excelled in both, and her solo combat abilities were formidable. She had already surpassed the average peak elite-level Trainer.
Due to her admiration for her father, Janine readily joined Team Rocket upon learning he was a part of Team Rocket. Her participation in the Rookie Competition was largely due to Koga's orders.
Marlos, known as the "Little Thunder God," was the younger cousin of Lt. Surge. He also hailed from Unova but had grown up alongside Surge in Vermilion City.
With a matching temperament and family ties, Marlos had been mentored by Lt. Surge from an early age.
Under the tutelage of an Electric-type Elite Four-level Trainer like Surge, it was no surprise Marlos had grown powerful.
In Vermilion, at just 14 years old, Marlos had already earned his nickname and was considered a peak-level elite Trainer—among the best of that tier.
Since Sabrina, Lt. Surge, and Koga were all friends—and all Gym Leaders—their subordinates naturally knew each other. Thus, Maya, Marlos, and Janine were acquainted, though they didn't get along particularly well.
Still, while not exactly friendly, their relationship was better than most Rocket members. Out of respect for their mentors, they wouldn't usually resort to lethal force against one another.
However, two days ago, the trio had visited a nearby black market together for supplies. There, they had stumbled across a Key Stone and a Mega Evolution stone at Haiduo's stall.
These two precious items caused their already-tense relationship to completely fall apart, turning them into enemies.
"Not on you? Then why have you been sneaking around the past two days? Don't tell me that arrogant idiot Marlos has them. If you know what's good for you, hand them over. Out of respect for Lady Sabrina, I'll spare your life."
Hearing Maya's claim, Janine's face twisted into a sneer. Her voice was ice-cold, her intent to kill unmistakable.
Her left hand had already drawn her ninja blade halfway out of its sheath. At this distance, it would take her less than a second to take Maya's head clean off.
As the daughter of Fuchsia's ninja clan leader, Janine had begun her training at age three.
After years of rigorous and brutal discipline, her heart had long hardened like iron. Aside from her family, she cared for no one.
To her, Maya being one of Sabrina's people and also in Team Rocket meant nothing. The girl was no different from the old wolf she'd killed at age five.
Just two days prior, Janine, Maya, and Marlos had stolen the Key Stone and Mega Stone from Haido.
But at the critical moment, Maya and Marlos had played her. They used a Natu's Teleport to escape from the mountain black market, leaving her behind to cover the retreat.
If not for her exceptional ninja skills and escape tactics, she'd have been beaten to death by the Sea Serpent Gang.
Now, Janine had returned to Pallet Town's port not only to board the ship headed for Cinnabar Island tonight—but also to seek revenge on Maya and Marlos.
Of course, taking back the Key Stone and Mega Stone from either of them was also part of her mission.
As luck would have it, she had finally tracked Maya down tonight.
But Janine wasn't reckless. She knew where she was—the port of Pallet Town. So, she waited patiently through the day, only taking action after nightfall.
She had been staking out Maya's lodging spot for quite some time.
"I swear it's the truth! The Key Stone and Mega Sone aren't on me. Marlos is too cunning. After using me, he ambushed me and took both items. If I hadn't overdrawn my psychic energy to force a Teleport at the last second, I'd already be dead. I've been laying low these past two days to escape the Sea Serpent Gang and recover."
Seeing the murderous glint grow stronger in Janine's eyes and the cold shine on her half-drawn blade, Maya gritted her teeth and pressed on.
"I left a psychic marker on Marlos. I can lead you to him."
But just as her vision blurred and warning bells exploded in her mind, Maya's face went pale as she let out a terrified scream.
She swore this was the fastest she'd ever spoken in her life.
A split second later, Janine reappeared before her. Her ninja blade was less than half an inch from Maya's throat.
Even her Natu had somehow been caught and tied up tightly in silk threads by Janine's Ariados.
"Take me to him. Or die."
With a look that could kill, Janine glared at the still-stunned Maya. She quickly sheathed her blade and turned her back coldly.