Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

To be honest, Luo Yuan hadn't initially suspected Arceus to be Hunter J's target. He'd assumed she might be after one of Kanto's native Legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh, Lugia, or even Mew, who was constantly wandering.

He'd only started with Sinnoh's Legendaries as a way to gauge her response, hoping it might lower her guard.

He hadn't expected to actually uncover Hunter J's true objective.

As for why Hunter J would risk coming to Kanto in search of one of Arceus's Plates...

After thinking it over, Luo Yuan surmised that she might have been hired by Team Galactic, a Sinnoh-based organization.

After all, it was well-known that Team Galactic's goal was to control Dialga and Palkia to destroy the old world and create a new one.

And it was Arceus, the original creator, who had brought Dialga and Palkia into existence.

Realizing this, Luo Yuan clicked his tongue.

If that was true, then Team Galactic was really pushing the envelope.

Speaking of Plates, Luo Yuan suddenly remembered the island where he'd encountered that giant Dragonite.

With its dense Dragon-type energy, was it possible there was an Arceus Plate there too...?

With this thought in mind, Luo Yuan decided he'd go back to visit that giant Dragonite when he had the chance.

Having mulled this over, Luo Yuan looked up to find Matori had left. He was alone in the interrogation room with Hunter J, who was staring him down.

Seeing him glance up, Hunter J returned his gaze without flinching.

"So, have you given any more thought to my proposal?" Luo Yuan asked. "Would you consider joining Team Rocket? I could use someone with your skills under my command."

He was serious. Eventually, he'd need to expand Team Rocket's presence in Hoenn, and having a strong subordinate would make his work far easier.

Hunter J might have her flaws, but with her Champion-level strength, she'd make a valuable addition to his team.

"Hmph," Hunter J scoffed, refusing to acknowledge him.

In truth, she still hadn't fully come to terms with her capture and was waiting for the first chance to escape.

But Luo Yuan had anticipated this. "I've got plenty of time. And, just to make sure you don't get any ideas about escaping..."

He reached over and took the device that had been strapped to Hunter J's arm.

As her face filled with shock, he pressed the activation button.

Zap

A yellow beam shot out.

In an instant, Hunter J's body was encased in a hard coating from the neck down.

Hunter J never would have imagined that the very device she used to capture and control others would one day be used on herself.

She didn't struggle—she knew that without a powerful external force, any attempt would be futile.

"..."

"Let's hope that the next time we meet, you'll be ready to give me the answers I'm looking for."

With a smile, Luo Yuan leaned in close to her face, anger simmering in her eyes, and then left the interrogation room.

With the Hunter J matter settled, Matori requested Giovanni's decision on whether to continue exploring the Evolution Mountain ruins. Giovanni decided to put it on hold until the Mewtwo Project was complete.

Luo Yuan had no objections. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

As for Mewtwo...

When speaking with Giovanni, Luo Yuan had mentioned the possibility of Mewtwo going out of control.

But Giovanni seemed unconcerned, showing Luo Yuan the M2 Restraint System, specially designed for Mewtwo.

Seeing this, Luo Yuan didn't press the matter.

After instructing his subordinates to ensure Hunter J was regularly fed, Luo Yuan mounted Dragapult and set off for Dark City.

---

Dark City, located between Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island.

It was less of a "city" and more of a rundown town.

Its tallest buildings only rose three stories, with most of the structures made of wood, and the ground was little more than dirt roads.

The houses lining the streets were in a state of disrepair, doors and roofs patched together, and the whole place bore scars of past battles.

This was a city drowning in poverty.

As for why Luo Yuan had come here...

The reason could be traced back to a phone call he'd received a week ago from Mr. Silph, President of Silph Co.

There's no need to go into the specifics, but the gist of it was that, after consulting with Gym Leaders Lt. Surge and Koga, Mr. Silph had become convinced that Luo Yuan had tremendous potential as a Pokémon Trainer.

He'd already considered the idea of promoting Luo Yuan as a face for Silph Co.

Now that he was assured of Luo Yuan's strength, Mr. Silph had no more doubts.

He wanted to move forward with his plan—to make Luo Yuan the Silph Co. equivalent of Devon Corp.'s "Steven Stone."

This suited Luo Yuan perfectly, as he'd been looking to leverage Silph's influence as a means to enter the League, so he readily agreed.

Mr. Silph suggested that Luo Yuan create a "notable incident" to gain publicity, allowing Silph Co. to coordinate a promotional campaign around him.

After giving it some thought, Luo Yuan figured that with his publicly known skill level, Dark City would be an ideal place to make his mark.

The town was currently home to two unofficial Gyms engaged in a turf war for official League recognition.

Their disregard for collateral damage had left Dark City's residents deeply embittered.

Aside from the two Gym Leaders, whose strength was somewhat notable, the rest of the Trainers involved were nothing but riff-raff.

Luo Yuan had been wondering how to find a reason to deal with these two Gyms when he suddenly heard footsteps outside. The residents on either side of the street hurried indoors, locking their doors and windows.

Two opposing groups were gathering in the middle of the road.

"Damn you, Yas Gym! Today, we're finally kicking you out of Dark City!"

"Like hell! It's you who's getting out, Kaz Gym!"

From their exchange, Luo Yuan quickly gathered that the trainers dressed in blue with red scarves were from the Kaz Gym, while those in green overalls with orange scarves were from the Yas Gym.

Led by Kaz and Yas themselves, both sides had gathered a horde of Trainers, with Scyther and Electabuzz at the forefront, glaring menacingly at each other.

"The League inspector is due to arrive soon—let's wipe you out of this town before then!"

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing. You're leaving today, or I am."

The hostility between the two sides was clearly deep-seated. After only a few words, both leaders gave the signal, and the two sides descended into chaos, fighting breaking out immediately.

It was a textbook example of "speak softly and carry a big stick."

With a shout of "Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!" Electabuzz extended its antennae, releasing a powerful arc of electricity.

The Thunderbolt was aimed squarely at Scyther.

As a Flying- and Bug-type, Scyther would be in serious trouble if it took a direct hit from Thunderbolt.

But Scyther was quick, leaving a green blur as it dodged the attack. The Thunderbolt struck a nearby house instead, blasting a large hole in the wooden wall.

Not missing a beat, Scyther's wings beat as it darted toward Kaz's Electabuzz, its twin scythe-like arms crossed in a deadly X-shape, ready to strike.

---

Oh, hey there, Traveler! 🍃 My friend here is the one bringing these stories to you—quite the talent, wouldn't you agree? If anything feels off, just give them a nudge—they're always happy to make things even better.

Now, don't forget to take a moment to rest! Grab a drink (perhaps something as refreshing as Mondstadt's finest), and let the stories whisk you away.

Oh, and if you're feeling generous, you could check out [patreon.com/WiseTL]. Supporting them is like throwing a coin to your favorite bard—it keeps the magic flowing!

Here's to more adventures and endless inspiration~ 🎵