"Whoosh~"
The specially amplified Psychic swept across the swarm of Golbat, and it seemed as if bats were raining from the sky. One after another, the Golbat dropped with a "whoosh~," regardless of whether they were Ordinary Level or Elite-level.
Golbat were never known for their durability. Combined with Psychic's type advantage and the overwhelming power of the amplified attack, it was no surprise that they were swept away so easily.
However, the Gym Leader-level Crobat still managed to remain airborne, albeit unsteadily. Its mouth opened and closed as it emitted a peculiar Supersonic signal.
"Hmph. Alakazam, use Psycho Cut and bring it down!"
Although Sabrina couldn't understand what the Crobat was trying to communicate, it was likely either calling for reinforcements or sending a warning. She had no intention of letting it continue and immediately gave the order.
Alakazam nodded. With a "whoosh~," an invisible blade shot toward the Crobat.
"Buzz buzz~"
As a Gym Leader-level Pokémon specializing in speed, Crobat reacted quickly. It flapped its wings, predicted the attack's trajectory, and narrowly dodged. Even so, it continued broadcasting its Supersonic signal, determined to relay its message before it could no longer fight.
Alakazam did not launch another attack immediately. Instead, it watched the Crobat with clear disdain in its intelligent eyes.
Although they were both Gym Leader-level Pokémon, Alakazam regarded only Dragon-types as worthy opponents. Everything else was beneath its notice.
"Whoosh~"
It tilted one of its spoons slightly.
The Psycho Cut that had seemingly missed suddenly curved in midair and struck the Crobat from behind.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed from the Crobat's purple body.
"Buzz!"
The Crobat let out a silent cry before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Its eyes became unfocused as it lost the ability to battle.
"Truly powerful…"
Still dazed, Icarus watched the brief but overwhelming battle.
The Golbat swarm had possessed both numerical superiority and considerable strength, yet it had been crushed in moments. His heart filled with envy. Psychic abilities were simply too powerful.
"You few, come with me and cut apart the Lunatone. The rest of you, clean up the battlefield."
Once the battle ended, Sabrina immediately ordered her Elite-level subordinates to begin their work.
As for the remaining Ordinary Level Trainers, including Icarus, they were all sprawled across the ground and effectively useless. Only Icarus, Airi, and Stone retained a shred of consciousness. They hadn't passed out completely, but they could only lie there and wait for the lingering effects to fade.
Icarus had no idea what Sabrina planned to do with them.
Would she kill them?
Ignore them?
Or take them away?
To be honest, he regretted coming.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have left long ago.
This so-called mandatory mission had been nothing but a trap.
"My lady, what about these nobodies?"
While Icarus worried about his future, one of the Elite-level subordinates cleaning up the battlefield asked the question for him.
"…"
Sabrina glanced at the seven or eight Trainers lying on the ground and considered the matter.
In truth, anyone who had survived this far could be considered among the strongest of the ordinary Trainers present. While some had benefited from her subtle protection, their overall strength was undoubtedly above average.
Killing them outright seemed wasteful.
Team Rocket also needed capable grassroots members.
With that thought, she quickly made her decision.
"When we're finished, bring them with us when we Teleport."
"Yes, my lady."
Hearing her decision, the Elite-level subordinate reluctantly glanced at the spatial backpacks carried by the unconscious Trainers before returning to collect the remaining spoils.
Even as an Elite-level Trainer, he would never dare disobey Sabrina's orders.
Only those who had served directly under her understood how terrifying the cold and beautiful Gym Leader truly was.
For example, the current head of the Wu Neng Family still needed to consult the family elders regarding major decisions.
Sabrina did not.
She was the strongest person in her entire family.
Her Psychic talent was unrivaled within the League.
Even her Pokémon had reached Gym Leader level so quickly largely because of her unique abilities.
If she were willing to sacrifice their foundations, she could have elevated Alakazam to Elite level in an incredibly short time.
Even if several family elders joined forces, they still wouldn't be her match.
As a result, she had become the unquestioned queen of Goldenrod City, and no one dared challenge her authority.
No one knew why someone as powerful as Sabrina had joined Team Rocket.
Even her direct subordinates didn't know.
Perhaps only Giovanni and Sabrina herself knew the answer.
Back to the present.
"Bang! Bang!"
As several Pokémon unleashed their attacks, large chunks of the giant Lunatone broke away and were stored inside the specially prepared spatial backpacks.
Everyone wore delighted expressions.
The mission was nearly complete, and the rewards were enormous.
Even while cutting away pieces of the giant Lunatone, they secretly pocketed fragments for themselves.
After all, even the finest Moon Stones on the market were merely pieces that had naturally shed from the giant Lunatone's outer shell.
What they were collecting now came directly from the main body.
Its quality far surpassed top-grade Moon Stones, and because of its rarity, even a small fragment was worth millions.
Sabrina was fully aware of her subordinates' little tricks, but she made no effort to stop them.
She wasn't a ruler who relied solely on brute force.
On the contrary, her extraordinary Psychic abilities made her exceptionally intelligent.
She understood authority, incentives, rewards, and control better than anyone.
Under her leadership, Goldenrod City had become one of the most prosperous cities in the League.
Naturally, she wasn't about to stop her subordinates from taking small benefits.
The resources weren't hers to begin with, and she had no use for them.
Allowing her people to profit only made them work harder.
Using someone else's property to earn loyalty was an excellent bargain.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Bang! Bang!"
"Boom!"
As expected, seeing Sabrina's silent approval, the subordinates worked even more enthusiastically.
Chunks of various sizes were continuously carved from the giant Lunatone and packed away.
Every fragment had already been tested against the sample previously provided to Team Rocket by their informant, confirming that it was genuine.
Soon, nearly a quarter of the giant Lunatone had been harvested.
Yet no one showed any intention of stopping.
These were priceless resources.
Besides, Lady Sabrina had already said that the more they could take, the better.
The Teleport coordinates had been prepared in advance.
Even if reinforcements arrived, they could escape instantly.
What was there to fear?
Confident in her own strength, Sabrina also saw no reason to stop them.
Although Team Rocket couldn't completely destroy their relationship with the Wu Neng Family, taking half of the giant Lunatone was still within acceptable limits.
Even if she couldn't personally use the excess resources, she could always trade them for something more valuable.