Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

On the island, Luo Yuan was deep in his daily training routine.

He held a fluffy, soft Eevee in his arms, gently rubbing its sensitive ears. This set Eevee off, squeaking with "Vee-vee" noises in protest, though no one would be coming to its rescue anytime soon.

Nearby, Slowpoke was blankly staring at the TM discs for Shadow Ball and Hydro Pump, though it was anyone's guess how much it actually managed to learn.

The Porygon had taken over Luo Yuan's smartphone and laptop, waiting on an upgrade so it could evolve into Porygon2.

Charizard, ever persistent, kept challenging Dragapult, only to be knocked out of the sky each time—yet it seemed to enjoy every moment of the challenge.

Ditto, after ditching its latest fixation on Unown, had now transformed into Mimikyu, mysteriously conversing with the real Mimikyu about who-knew-what.

Only Gengar stayed put beside Luo Yuan, obediently acting as his personal air conditioner.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

"Dragonair, use Ice Beam!"

Following Luo Yuan's commands, Gyarados's Hydro Pump collided mid-air with Dragonair's Ice Beam, forming a several-meter-long ice pillar that shot toward Dragonite.

The enormous Dragonite didn't let its size become a hindrance. With a flap of its wings, it deftly dodged the incoming ice projectile, moving at a speed entirely unexpected for its bulk.

But Gyarados and Dragonair didn't stop there. They adjusted their attacks, splitting Hydro Pump and Ice Beam into two streams aimed directly at Dragonite.

With agile maneuvers, Dragonite weaved between the streams of water and ice until they stopped, emerging completely unscathed.

"Alright, that's enough. Take a break," Luo Yuan called out, motioning for Dragonite to land in front of him.

He tossed two special energy cubes into Dragonite's mouth, smiling as the Pokémon enjoyed its treat.

It had been a week since he'd caught Dragonite, and by now, Luo Yuan had gained a thorough understanding of its stats.

Dragonite's power had turned out to be far beyond his expectations.

Though its size had shrunk to less than half of what it used to be, and its energy reserves had slightly decreased, its abilities seemed to have strengthened. Its Dragon Pulse and Dragon Rage attacks were now smaller in scale but had become incredibly potent—exceeding even those of ordinary Elite Four-level Pokémon.

Especially when it came to strength and stamina. The weight Dragonite had shed seemed to be pure fat, resulting in no significant loss in power. In fact, its enormous strength was now concentrated in a body half its original size, making it even more forceful.

In terms of raw power, Luo Yuan was confident it was even stronger than Bruno's Machamp.

Dragonite's speed had also drastically improved with its new, leaner frame.

Simply put, it had become faster!

Though raw combat power wasn't all about strength and speed, they certainly contributed a lot.

However, there was a drawback to this transformation: Dragonite's appetite had surged without the steady replenishment of dragon energy. Over the past few days, Luo Yuan had been coordinating with Matori to source additional food just to satisfy Dragonite's ravenous appetite.

"I've raised a real bottomless pit…" Luo Yuan muttered, handing over the rest of the energy cubes, which Dragonite happily gobbled up.

Turning to his side, Luo Yuan glanced at Deoxys.

Like Dragonite, Deoxys had also been training diligently. However, its focus was different: it was training its underlings.

And Deoxys's "underlings" were none other than the defeated Unown.

After their loss to Deoxys, the Unown had fallen under its psychic control. Now, they formed various patterns in the air under Deoxys's command.

At first, some of the Unown had tried to resist, but after Deoxys forcefully subdued the rebellious ones, the Unown had become nothing more than loyal minions.

No hesitation in serving a Legendary.

With its vast psychic powers and exceptional calculation abilities, Deoxys could command the collective-consciousness Unown effortlessly, as if they were extensions of its own limbs.

After clearing the "Colossal Dragonite" dungeon, Luo Yuan had scored not only the Dragon Plate and a mysterious Pokémon Egg but also secured the Colossal Dragonite and a small army of Unown as reinforcements.

This trip had been incredibly worthwhile.

Still, transporting the Unown was inconvenient for now, so Luo Yuan decided to temporarily leave them at the ruins. When the time came, he'd have Hunter J return to Kanto and transfer the Unown to his airship.

Luo Yuan was confident that his airship, equipped with both high-end technology and the Unown, would become an impenetrable fortress in the sky.

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

But just then, his phone rang.

Answering the call, the screen displayed Matori's avatar.

"Luo Yuan, there's some news from HQ that I need to relay to you," she said, her expression serious.

Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead…"

"After research and discussion by the Kanto Elite Four and President Damalanchi's confirmation, Lance has officially been promoted to Champion. He'll be reassigned to Johto after the Indigo League concludes. The League will then hold elections to select the remaining five Elite Four members and a new Champion for Kanto."

"So, it's finally happening…" Luo Yuan smirked.

Though he didn't have any informants within the League, he had anticipated this outcome ever since defeating Lance and his team. However, the timing was sooner than expected.

"Seems I really spooked them last time; their efficiency's gone up quite a bit," Luo Yuan chuckled.

Even Matori couldn't resist a small smile at that. However, she quickly composed herself and continued, "Boss Giovanni has already decided to have one of our unexposed operatives, Koga, enter the running for the Elite Four."

"The boss wants to know when you plan to enter so that you and Koga can avoid competing against each other and prevent any unnecessary in-fighting."

Aside from the near-mythical goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, the ranks of Champion and Elite Four were the aspirations of many Trainers.

No doubt, once Kanto's announcement went public, it would draw in a flood of contestants, forcing the League to hold preliminaries.

Giovanni's suggestion was a strategic move to avoid Rocket members clashing against each other.

"I'll wait until after the Indigo League…" Luo Yuan mused. "But honestly, doesn't Boss Giovanni have any interest in claiming the Champion title for himself?"

Giovanni's identity was well-hidden; to this day, the League had yet to connect the Rocket boss to him.

As for his power…Giovanni was one of only two Rocket members with Champion-level combat ability. If he wanted to enter the running for Kanto's Champion, his Beedrill alone would render him nearly unbeatable.

With Giovanni as Champion, and Koga alongside him, Team Rocket could practically gain legitimacy right under the League's nose.

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨