Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Three losses in a row.

Even though Jun had prepared himself mentally for Luo Yuan's strength before stepping into the arena, he still struggled to accept the reality of the situation.

His composure crumbled.

After recalling Crawdaunt, Jun hastily sent out his fourth Pokémon without much thought.

"Go, Electrode!"

An Electrode rolled onto the battlefield, its elastic body bouncing twice as it landed. Sparks of static electricity crackled across its surface, hinting at its Static ability.

"Electrode, huh."

As a Pokémon infamous for using Explosion as a form of entertainment, Electrode's reputation preceded it.

Jun's intentions were clear: he planned to take down Ditto with an explosive end.

Luo Yuan recognized the tactic instantly.

"So, you're going for Explosion?"

It was true that Ditto was difficult to deal with, and using Explosion was arguably the simplest way to eliminate it.

But for Luo Yuan, there were plenty of ways to counter Electrode's self-destructive strategy. To him, it posed no real threat.

Jun's unease grew as he noticed Luo Yuan's calm expression.

Still, having no better options against Ditto, Jun decided to proceed with his plan.

"Electrode, Swift!"

At Jun's command, Electrode unleashed a flurry of star-shaped projectiles toward Ditto, which was still transformed as Crawdaunt.

Ditto didn't dodge. It crossed its glowing claws in front of itself, summoning a protective blue shield of Protect that completely enveloped its body.

Boom, boom, boom!

The relentless barrage of stars struck the shield but failed to penetrate it. Ditto-Crawdaunt stood firm.

Before the attack ended, Ditto surged forward, its massive claw glowing.

"Hydro Pump!"

Luo Yuan had suspected Electrode's Static ability and avoided close-range combat. Instead, Ditto unleashed a high-pressure stream of water from its claw, hitting Electrode dead-on and sending it flying.

Despite the powerful attack, Electrode managed to right itself midair. It landed slightly off-center, using its elasticity to bounce back.

Suddenly, it changed direction mid-leap, propelling itself straight at Ditto-Crawdaunt.

At the same time, sparks surged across Electrode's body, covering it in a dense electric field.

The electricity accelerated its movement, transforming it into a high-speed, highly charged projectile.

"Wild Charge!"

Electrode hurtled toward Ditto-Crawdaunt, aiming to deal massive damage.

As a Water/Dark-type Pokémon, Crawdaunt wouldn't fare well against such a powerful Electric-type attack.

Luo Yuan recognized the danger immediately.

"Ditto, transform!"

With a fluid motion, Ditto's body rippled, shrinking back into its original amorphous form.

"What, again?!"

Surprise was Jun's initial reaction the first time this tactic was used. The second time, it irritated him. Now, the third repetition filled him with nothing but fury.

"Electrode, Thunder Wave!"

Jun wasn't about to let Ditto escape unscathed this time.

Even if it had dodged Wild Charge, it couldn't possibly escape the area-wide paralysis of Thunder Wave.

The electric arcs spread outward from Electrode in concentric circles.

Jun envisioned a paralyzed Ditto, helpless against Electrode's finishing blow. His lips curled into a triumphant smile.

But Luo Yuan's expression said otherwise—it was the look of someone watching a fool.

"Ditto, transform."

Through their telepathic connection, Luo Yuan issued the command.

In an instant, Ditto's form shifted again.

Standing on the battlefield now was a shiny Gengar, its dark purple body shimmering faintly. With a mischievous grin, it twisted its body and dove into Electrode's shadow.

Electrode's Thunder Wave spread harmlessly into the empty air.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Jun opened his mouth, tempted to accuse Luo Yuan of foul play, but common sense stopped him.

Transforming into other Pokémon wasn't against the rules.

While Jun struggled to suppress his frustration, the commentator's voice rang out.

"Luo Yuan's Ditto has transformed once again, this time into a Gengar! We still don't know the full extent of Ditto's transformation capabilities!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement, curiosity sparking in their eyes. Even spectators who had been indifferent toward Luo Yuan found themselves intrigued.

Meanwhile, Lorelei studied the shiny Gengar carefully.

"This Gengar... it reminds me of the one used by the Tech Hunter," she mused aloud.

She recalled facing a shiny Gengar in a previous battle against the notorious Tech Hunter.

Lance shook his head. "You're overthinking it. Both Gengars are shiny—that's the only similarity.

"Luo Yuan's a League-certified trainer, handpicked by Professor Oak himself. There's no way he has ties to the Tech Hunter. Suggesting otherwise is as absurd as accusing one of us of being a Team Rocket spy."

Lorelei nodded, realizing her thoughts were far-fetched. The constant pressure from Team Rocket's recent activities had clearly made her overly suspicious.

She resolved to take a much-needed vacation once the Kanto and Johto Leagues resolved their territorial disputes.

---

Back on the battlefield, the tide of battle had shifted.

With Ditto transformed into Gengar, the match quickly turned one-sided.

Electrode had no effective way to combat Gengar's ability to hide in its shadow.

Whenever Electrode attempted to flush Ditto out with Thunderbolt or Zap Cannon, Gengar would intercept with moves like Shadow Ball or Shadow Claw, disrupting Electrode's attacks.

If the pressure became too great, Gengar would simply use Phantom Force to retreat into another dimension.

Electrode couldn't land a single hit. Instead, it became increasingly battered as Gengar chipped away at its defenses.

Bit by bit, victory tipped further in Luo Yuan's favor.

---

T/N: no way Luo Yuan is a team rocket agent!