Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

For Team Rocket's classic trio—Jessie, Meowth, and James—Luo Yuan decided to establish his authority with a system of rewards and punishments.

He knew all too well that if left unchecked, these three would create chaos without a second thought. With a bit of discipline, however...at least he might get them to think before acting.

"The next step?" Jessie, Meowth, and James looked at each other in confusion, unsure what Luo Yuan meant.

"Our mission plan!"

Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, Gengar floated up silently from the shadow behind him.

The trio watched as Gengar opened its mouth and produced three sets of black uniforms.

"What are these?"

"Put them on," Luo Yuan instructed. "You know we're supposed to be keeping a low profile right now."

The three nodded in understanding.

They'd been informed of Giovanni's directive for Team Rocket to stay out of the spotlight. Though, in their minds, catching Pikachu to impress the boss was way more important than keeping a low profile, so they hadn't exactly been diligent in following the directive.

But seeing the uniforms, void of any Rocket insignia, they instantly grasped Luo Yuan's intention.

Once they were suited up in black, Luo Yuan handed each of them a dossier. "Our target for this mission is the Stone Brothers Mining Company. We're here to investigate why they've failed to pay Team Rocket our share of their profits."

"I need you to infiltrate the Stone family manor in Stone Town tonight to figure out what's going on."

"Use force only if absolutely necessary."

"YES, Sir!" The trio saluted, standing straight in their new uniforms, looking the part of a highly-trained elite team.

Luo Yuan held back a smile.

These three might look like elite agents and even have the title of "elite unit" within Team Rocket, but he knew better. If anyone truly believed that, they were in for a big surprise.

With a nod to Gengar, he gave his silent signal.

"Kehehe..."

Gengar's eyes gleamed as it slipped back into the shadows, specifically into Meowth's shadow, much to the latter's horror.

"Why did it go into my shadow, nya?!"

Watching Gengar's faint silhouette lurking within Meowth's shadow, James and Jessie shivered in sympathy.

"I heard that when Gengar's around, the temperature drops and it can drain energy by hiding in shadows," James whispered helpfully.

Meowth turned ghostly pale, imagining its life energy slowly slipping away.

"..."

Luo Yuan rolled his eyes at their wild imagination.

Not letting the theatrics drag on, he stepped in, "That's enough. Gengar won't harm you. There's a chance we'll face unknown enemies during this infiltration—possibly League Trainers or agents from other regions' criminal groups. Gengar's job is to help you infiltrate and...assist with your escape if things go south."

With this clarification, the trio relaxed.

What they didn't know was that Luo Yuan fully intended to use them as bait to test the waters at Stone Brothers Mining Company.

He felt no guilt about this; he was simply following the example Giovanni had set in the original series by sending the trio on "missions" in various regions.

Plus, he'd given them Gengar as an added safeguard.

"Take a break and get ready for tonight," he continued, pulling a set of boxed meals from his backpack and handing them out.

"Wooo!"

Seeing the deluxe meals, the trio, who'd been surviving on cheap instant noodles and rice balls, almost burst into tears of gratitude.

They even briefly entertained the thought of giving up on Pikachu altogether and pledging loyalty to "Officer K" for good.

---

That Night

With their gear ready and their spirits high, the trio set off with renewed determination under Luo Yuan's watchful gaze.

From his vantage point on a hill, Luo Yuan watched through night-vision binoculars as they scaled the wall of the manor and entered the grounds. A faint smile crossed his lips.

"Stone Brothers Mining Company... Let's see who's given you the courage to defy Team Rocket."

Just then—

An explosion echoed from within the manor grounds, breaking the quiet night with shouts and the sounds of alarm.

Seconds later, Luo Yuan spotted Jessie and James fleeing in terror, carrying Meowth between them.

Above them, Gengar hovered in the air, flinging Shadow Balls to cover their retreat.

But—

"ROOOAR!"

A deafening roar shattered the night.

A voice followed: "Salamence, use Dragon Pulse!"

A Salamence shot up from the manor grounds, a figure astride its back, unleashing a powerful purple shockwave at Gengar and the trio.

Gengar responded without hesitation, countering with a Shadow Ball. The attacks collided in mid-air, resulting in a fiery explosion.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Luo Yuan adjusted his binoculars, finally getting a clear view of their opponent.

"Hunter J."

Unlike Team Rocket, which operated with a code of conduct in the underworld, Pokémon Hunter J was notorious for her lack of principles.

She would do anything for money.

Cold, ruthless, and relentless, she was infamous for her disregard for Pokémon or human life.

Luo Yuan hadn't expected to find her here.

"Did we accidentally stumble on a Pokémon Hunter nest or something? They're coming out of the woodwork lately."

Between the Pokémon Hunter outbreak at the Safari Zone and now J showing up here in Stone Town, it was clear the situation was more complicated than he'd expected.

As J's henchmen flooded out of the manor, Luo Yuan realized that the Stone Brothers situation was bigger than a simple failure to pay up.

"It's a good thing Matori sent me instead of Koga. Even with his skill, he'd have had a hard time handling this many people."

After all, J was on par with the Elite Four, and with a force of henchmen at her command, things could easily spiral.

In the time it took him to assess the situation, the trio, still shielded by Gengar's Shadow Balls, had managed to escape the town's outskirts and were heading up the hill toward him.

"Looks like keeping a low profile is out of the question. I'll have to trust Giovanni to handle the fallout from a 'Tech Hunter' reportedly siding with Team Rocket in Fuchsia's vicinity."

With that, he tossed his Poké Ball into the air.

"ROOOAR!"

Matching Salamence's roar, Dragapult materialized in front of Luo Yuan and, to the trio's astonishment, soared into the sky to confront the Salamence.

"Wait—this Pokémon... Isn't it the same one that saved us back in Lamplidge?" James asked.

"Does that mean Officer K was the one who helped us?" Jessie, Meowth, and James shared a stunned look, each seeing their amazement mirrored in the others' eyes.

---

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