Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Though stunned by Dragapult's strength, Malva refused to surrender.

"Chandelure, intercept Dragapult!"

A Shadow Ball materialized before Chandelure and shot toward Dragapult with a sharp whoosh.

If Dragapult chose to continue attacking Pyroar, it would undoubtedly defeat the Fire-type. But in doing so, it would also take a direct hit from the Shadow Ball.

No matter what Luo Yuan and Dragapult decided, Malva saw this as a win for her.

However, Malva had underestimated Luo Yuan.

Anyone familiar with him knew one thing—he never played by the rules of choice.

As the Shadow Ball streaked toward Dragapult, it didn't flinch or deviate from its course.

Instead, Dragapult opened its mouth and unleashed a Dragon Pulse at Pyroar.

Caught off-guard by the sudden blast, Pyroar hastily used Protect. A shimmering blue barrier materialized just in time to block the attack.

The Dragon Pulse struck the shield with a grating screech, causing the barrier to quiver under the strain.

"Well done, Pyroar!" Malva exclaimed.

She hadn't expected Pyroar to react quickly enough to use Protect, and this unexpected success tilted the situation slightly in her favor.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Ball hurtled toward Dragapult.

Just as it was about to connect, a dark, spectral claw appeared from nowhere and intercepted it mid-air.

The claw clenched, shattering the Shadow Ball into harmless fragments.

"What?!"

Malva's eyes widened in shock. Following the trajectory of the spectral claw, her gaze landed on Luo Yuan's shoulder.

There, a Mimikyu wrapped in a pale yellow cloth was perched, its beady eyes gleaming with eerie determination.

"If it's going to be a fair fight, the number of Pokémon on both sides should be equal," Luo Yuan said casually.

With Mimikyu now on the field, the balance shifted completely in Luo Yuan's favor.

Gengar, Dragonite, Dragapult, and Mimikyu positioned themselves around Malva's Pokémon, forming an inescapable encirclement.

The battle's outcome was all but decided.

Malva tried to remain composed despite the sinking feeling in her chest. "Is Team Rocket declaring all-out war on Team Flare?" she asked coldly.

Luo Yuan chuckled. "The way you say that... it's as if we were the ones invading your turf. After all the trouble you've caused in Kanto, you dare ask if we're starting a war? That's rich."

"..."

Malva wanted to argue that her mission was only to retrieve Aliana, not provoke a war.

But with Rocket grunts swarming the area, she knew negotiations were pointless.

If she were in Luo Yuan's position, she wouldn't let a captured enemy walk away either. Wolves didn't negotiate with sheep.

Accepting reality, Malva steeled herself and made her move.

"Houndoom!"

She beckoned to her Houndoom while clutching the pendant around her neck.

"Hooouu!"

Houndoom let out a guttural growl as both it and the pendant began to glow.

Encased in radiant light, Houndoom's horns extended dramatically, and its skeletal markings expanded into a menacing chestplate.

Now in its Mega Evolved form, Houndoom exuded an aura of raw power and terror.

"So Mega Evolution is your ace in the hole," Luo Yuan remarked, his expression unimpressed.

His nonchalant demeanor infuriated Malva.

"Attack, Houndoom!" she commanded.

Houndoom's body ignited with roaring flames as it lunged directly at Luo Yuan, ignoring the standard rules of Pokémon battles.

"Flame Charge!"

Luo Yuan showed no surprise at Malva's direct attack on him, nor did he rebuke her.

After all, neither of them were saints.

He had intended for a clean match, but since Malva had chosen to disregard the rules, Luo Yuan decided to respond in kind.

As Houndoom barreled toward him, its fiery presence searing the air, Luo Yuan reached for the Poké Ball on his belt and tapped it lightly.

Boom!

A flash of white light erupted, and Deoxys appeared before Luo Yuan, immediately shifting into its Defense Forme.

Crash!

Houndoom's blazing charge slammed into Deoxys with immense force. The combination of speed, heat, and raw power would have pierced through solid steel.

Yet Deoxys stood unmoving, its crystalline surface unscathed.

"What... What kind of Pokémon is that?" Malva gasped.

Before she could process the scene, Luo Yuan's other Pokémon launched a coordinated attack on her remaining team.

Dragonite led with a devastating Dragon Pulse.

Dragapult and Gengar followed with Shadow Balls aimed at Pyroar.

Pyroar, already struggling, couldn't react in time. The attacks struck, sending it crashing to the ground, motionless.

"Not good!" Malva muttered, hastily commanding Chandelure and Talonflame to defend.

She even sent out her final Pokémon, Torkoal, hoping to hold the line.

But against Luo Yuan's championship-level Dragapult, supported by Gengar, Dragonite, and Mimikyu—all Elite Four-caliber Pokémon—the odds were stacked overwhelmingly against her.

Outnumbered and outclassed, Malva's team barely managed to hold on.

Desperate, she turned to call Houndoom back into the fray.

But before she could speak, Deoxys struck again.

With a single blow, Deoxys sent the Mega Houndoom sprawling to the ground, its attempted Bite completely nullified.

"..."

In that moment, Malva recalled the rumors she had heard in Kalos—that the Kanto Elite Four had been defeated not by an ordinary trainer, but by a Legendary Pokémon.

Staring at Deoxys now, the truth of those rumors became undeniable.

She watched in horror as Deoxys unleashed a Psycho Cut. The attack carved a deep gash into Houndoom's horn, nearly slicing it in half.

Realizing the futility of continuing, Malva's strength left her.

Raising her trembling hand, she called out, "Stop! I surrender!"

Boom!

The tip of Deoxys' bladed arm halted mere inches from Houndoom's neck, the near miss leaving Malva drenched in cold sweat.

If she had been even a second slower...

---

T/N: pokemon got nuked :D

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)