Before crossing over, Maki often couldn’t distinguish between Goldenrod City in Johto and Saffron City in Kanto. The confusion stemmed from transtions—Goldenrod City was once mistransted as "Gold City," making it easy to mix up with Saffron City.
"Finally, I’ve arrived."
Stepping out of the airport, Maki sighed in relief. The journey from Viridian City to Saffron City only took about two hours, yet the waiting time at the airport had cost him over an hour.
Releasing his Charmander from its Poké Ball, Maki could tell the little Pokémon was restless after being cooped up. Once freed, it shook its head and took a deep breath of “fresh” air.
"Charrr..."
Well, as fresh as air gets in a bustling metropolis like Saffron City.
PThe first thing on Maki’s agenda after reaching Saffron City was, naturally, a visit to the Psychic-type Gym!
As Team Rocket's most critical stronghold, Maki had spent more time here than in Veridian City, so getting lost wasn’t a concern.
“Saffron City Gym!”
Maki looked up at the Gym’s exterior. Its predominantly purple theme gave it more of a Ghost-type vibe than a Psychic-type one.
"It must be Sabrina’s personal taste," Maki muttered to himself.
What set Saffron Gym apart from others wasn’t just its decor—it was the ck of challengers.
For a city as rge as Saffron, one would expect plenty of trainers eager to challenge the Gym. However, the reality was quite different...
"Hey, over here!"
Dressed as a traveler with a Charmander by his side, Maki caught the attention of an older man passing by. The man waved him over enthusiastically.
"You talking to me?"
Maki pointed to himself, then gnced around, confirming there wasn’t anyone else nearby.
Once the man nodded fervently, Maki approached him, curiosity written all over his face.
"Listen, kid, take my advice: Don’t challenge this Gym. There are plenty of others in Kanto—you don’t need this one. Your life is more important!"
Maki was taken aback, but it didn’t take long to piece things together. It seemed Sabrina’s reputation had left quite the psychological scar on the locals.
The st time Maki visited Saffron City, the Gym was under the control of Sabrina’s father. While not exactly popur, the challengers back then didn’t avoid it like the pgue.
Seeing the man about to unch into another tirade, Maki quickly cut him off.
"Don’t worry, I’ll just give it a shot. Losing doesn’t matter."
With that, he prepared to head into the Gym with Charmander. But the man grabbed his arm again.
"Why don’t you listen, kid? Ever since this Gym changed leaders, the challengers who leave here are worse off every time! I’m telling you, for your own good!"
Maki sighed inwardly. He could tell the man was genuinely concerned. Considering Sabrina’s personality, it wouldn’t surprise him if she had done something extreme.
But he couldn’t exactly say, “Don’t worry, Sabrina and I grew up together—we’re on great terms!”
If he did, the man might think he needed medical attention.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Maki gently pried the man’s hand off, picked up Charmander, and headed inside.
"Rex, I’ll be fine!"
"Tsk, what a shame," the man muttered as he walked away, shaking his head.
Well, there were always plenty of passersby near the Gym. Someone would eventually call for an ambunce if needed.
As soon as Maki stepped into the Gym, he felt a mysterious force envelop his body. In an instant, the surroundings shifted, and he found himself in a dimly lit room.
"To be honest, this feels more like a temple for some obscure cult than a Gym. Is this your preferred aesthetic?"
Maki scanned the eerie room, lit faintly by a few scattered lights.
Sabrina, seated on a throne, descended gracefully, levitating with Psychic power. In her arms, she held a plush doll resembling a white electric mouse.
"If you don’t like it, I’ll have it remodeled tomorrow," Sabrina said nonchantly, as if it were no big deal.
"I was just making an offhand comment; no need to go that far!" Maki waved his hands in protest before turning to Charmander.
"You’d better head back into your Poké Ball for now."
Charmander nodded obediently.
Once Maki recalled Charmander, Sabrina’s gaze shifted away from it.
"That Pokémon is too weak."
Coming from Sabrina, such bluntness wasn’t surprising.
"It’s a starter Pokémon from the League. It’d be strange if it were strong right off the bat. But I’m confident it’ll grow stronger over time."
Maki’s lips twitched. He, too, wished the League had given him a Charizard—or better yet, a Rayquaza—but that wasn’t going to happen.
"Also, why are you dressed like that today?"
Sabrina wore a light purple dress and no shoes, her Psychic powers keeping her from touching the ground. It was an unusual choice for someone like her.
Sabrina gnced down at her attire.
"My father said you might prefer this style. He also said my usual outfits were too outdated."
Cough, cough! "Alright, I get it!"
Maki hastily changed the subject, a mental image of Sabrina’s father fshing through his mind.
Another eccentric uncle!
"There are plenty of Psychic Pokémon in this Gym. Feel free to take whichever one you like," Sabrina offered, producing a pile of Poké Balls seemingly out of nowhere.
"By the way, isn’t this Gym still under Uncle Anders’ name?"
Anders—Sabrina’s father—was officially the Gym Leader of Saffron City. However, he had rgely abandoned his duties.
Sabrina tilted her head.
"My parents went on vacation to the Alo region. They said not to bother them during their honeymoon. Who knows when they’ll be back?"
Maki rubbed his forehead. Like father, like daughter.
Still, since the Anders family wasn’t officially part of Team Rocket—merely colborators—he couldn’t say much.
"Why didn’t you go with them?"
"There’s still a lot to manage at the Gym. Besides, Giovanni informed me you’d be coming."
"Given how deserted this pce is, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to manage," Maki remarked, gncing around. The Gym’s battle arena, meant for challenges, was so neglected it had begun to decay.
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