Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
After all, Psychic-type Pokémon weren't just rare and precious—they were also notoriously proud, their temperaments rivaling even those of Dragon-types.
Unless the Trainer was someone naturally gifted with a strong mental presence, like that blonde woman, Psychic-types would rarely choose to follow a human.
Besides that, Sato had also observed something else—Janine and the blonde woman, Maya, were visibly hostile toward the robed man sitting on top of the Magnezone. Their gazes constantly flicked over to him, filled with animosity.
"Could there be more to this than meets the eye? Haiduo said there were three people. At this point, I can confirm the blonde woman was definitely one of the culprits who tried to steal his treasure, and the kunoichi is likely another accomplice. Judging by the way both of them are glaring daggers at the robed guy, he must be the third one. Which means the Key Stone and the Mega Stone are probably on him."
As Sato watched the suspicious figure's movements, he silently analyzed the situation. His eyes flashed with sharp insight as the pieces fell into place.
Meanwhile, while Sato was covertly observing Janine, Maya, and the robed figure, the three of them were also sizing him up in return—this powerful stranger who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Since Sato could sense danger from Janine and the others, it was only natural that they could feel threatened by him as well.
In fact, the pressure Janine and the others felt from Sato was even stronger than what Sato sensed from them.
"Lady Janine, who exactly is that guy riding a Crobat like you? He even dresses just like you. Is he from your side? He's really strong. Both my Natu and Kadabra have been warning me not to provoke him. You know they can somewhat sense the future, so I always take their warnings seriously."
Using her telepathy, Maya asked Janine in a seemingly calm tone. She kept her gaze low, not daring to meet the kunoichi's cold, ruthless eyes.
Having witnessed Janine's strength firsthand, Maya was now reverting to her old habits from her days as a low-level thug in Saffron City—reading the room and siding with the strongest. At the moment, she looked every bit like Janine's obedient underling.
"Hmph. I don't care who he is. If he dares block my way, I'll kill him. Are you sure that robed guy on the Magnezone is Marlos? If you're wrong, you know what'll happen to you."
Janine's cold mental voice responded with a sneer. Though her face was hidden beneath her ninja mask, her disdain was unmistakable.
Despite looking down on Maya, Janine's gaze toward Sato was actually filled with wariness.
In her estimation, Sato was an even greater threat than the robed figure Maya had identified as Marlos. Out of all the new Rocket recruits she'd encountered since leaving Fuchsia City for this mission, Sato was undoubtedly the strongest.
But just like Maya, she had no idea who Sato actually was. As a top member of the younger generation of Team Rocket—and a trained ninja—Janine made a habit of gathering intel on other up-and-coming talents within the organization.
Unfortunately, the tiny bit of information Sato had revealed didn't match anyone in her database.
Crobat was the final evolution of Zubat, but among all the talented young Rockets she knew of, aside from herself, none used this relatively common yet incredibly difficult-to-fully-evolve Pokémon.
"Where did you come from? Hmph, I don't care. If you dare stand in my way, I will cut you down."
Sensing Sato's subtle glance her way, Janine returned it with a cold glare, her eyes sharp and unflinching, a silent but deadly warning.
"That robed guy is Marlos. The psychic marker I left on him is still intact. He stole the Key Stone and the Mega Stone. Now that he's carrying such valuable items, neither we nor the Sea Serpent Gang will let him get away. All the exits around Pallet Town's port have been locked down by the gang. He's trapped. And now that the mission is about to begin, he's forced to show himself in this disguise. From the looks of it, he's planning to keep the stones for himself. Otherwise, the higher-up in Vermilion City would've shown up here days ago. Greedy bastard."
Picking up on Janine's displeasure, Maya quickly responded via telepathy again. She had seen the murderous gleam in Janine's eyes and couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.
In theory, Maya should've had the upper hand in a fight—after all, her Psychic-types gave her a type advantage over Janine's Poison-types.
But reality proved otherwise. Type advantage wasn't everything. Janine had the capability to assassinate her without a sound. Maya had never even realized Janine had been lying in wait outside her room the previous night.
Janine was, after all, the daughter of Koga—the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City, known far and wide for his lethal ninja poison techniques. Naturally, she had inherited his deadly skills. If Janine wanted her dead, she wouldn't even know when she'd been poisoned.
(Note: Poison Ninjutsu is a unique blend of ninja arts and Poison-type Pokémon attacks. Koga, the Poison-type Elite Four member, is a master of this craft.)
That's why Maya always carried several vials of powerful antidotes in her pockets—just in case Janine decided to pull off one of her silent, deadly tricks.
At the same time, Maya kept a close eye on Sato—the mysterious powerhouse who had appeared out of nowhere. If the opportunity arose during the coming battle, she wouldn't mind clinging to him for protection.
In truth, both Janine and Maya were aware of the Sea Serpent Gang's covert pursuit. As core members of Team Rocket, they understood just how valuable the Key Stone and Mega Stone were.
They also knew the Sea Serpent Gang would never give up easily. After much hesitation, the two had decided to report the matter to the organization.
What they hadn't expected was that the higher-ups already seemed to know everything—and were extremely displeased that they hadn't reported it sooner. Not only were they denied any rewards, but they'd also been chewed out harshly.
Now, besides reclaiming the Key Stone and Mega Stone from Marlos, Janine and Maya were here to take part in the upcoming major battle—to redeem themselves and maybe snag some benefits on the side.
"What a shame. Now that the organization is involved, I can't personally kill those two to settle the score. Hmph. Using me as bait? That won't be forgotten so easily."
Now that Janine had confirmation from Maya, she first gave Maya—who was still bowing her head—one long, cold stare, then shifted her gaze to Marlos with killing intent flickering in her eyes.
"Damn it! Those two idiots actually reported this to the organization! Janine's like a cockroach—toss her into enemy territory and she still won't die. She's a walking time bomb. I have to find a way to get rid of her. And that bitch Maya… I should've finished her off when I had the chance. She probably used some stupid psychic ability to track me down. And who the hell is that guy on the Crobat, just like Janine? Is he her backup?"
At that moment, the robed figure—Marlos—was staring darkly at Sato, Janine, and Maya. Internally, he was seething with rage.
Just moments ago, he had received a message from his cousin. The scolding and the demand to hand over the Key Stone and Mega Stone on his communicator made him feel like his heart was bleeding.
"The Sea Serpent Gang… You'll do nicely. Tonight, I'm going to rip you apart and vent all my frustration."
Grinding his teeth, Marlos tore his gaze away from the others and stared instead at the pitch-black waters surrounding the ship, murderous thoughts swirling in his mind.