Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

"Key Stones... Mega Stones..."

The mention of these items caused Luo Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

He hadn't expected Team Flare to be such a big catch, spilling such valuable intel.

Back in his previous life, Mega Evolution was already well-known among Pokémon fans.

But here, in this world, Mega Evolution was still a rare and mysterious phenomenon, known only among a select few.

It wasn't until recently, when the Kalos League unearthed a large cache of Key Stones and Mega Stones in an ancient ruin, that Mega Evolution news had truly begun to spread.

"Still... I can't believe the Kalos League is actually willing to export these stones to Hoenn."

After all, Key Stones and Mega Stones couldn't be artificially produced.

So far, the only way to obtain them was through excavation at ancient ruins.

"It's said that due to the constant clashes between Team Magma and Team Aqua, Hoenn's League can barely handle the pressure from worsening public safety. They had to negotiate with Kalos for help, exchanging favors to get these Mega Stones to strengthen their enforcement squads and hopefully keep Team Magma and Team Aqua under control," Truebird explained.

Luo Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Poor Hoenn..."

He'd already caused some chaos in Hoenn, and now, stuck between "water and fire," Hoenn's League was about to get fleeced even more.

But he quickly shrugged the thought away.

As a Rocket, he was naturally at odds with the League; the more strained things got for them, the happier he should be.

"So, our objective is to secure these Mega Stones?" he asked.

"Exactly. Besides you and Sabrina, Lt. Surge will also be assisting from the shadows."

Giovanni was clearly pulling out all the stops for this operation.

He was deploying three executives.

"Do we have any intel on the St. Anne's security?"

With such a valuable shipment, the Kalos and Hoenn Leagues wouldn't let their guard down.

"According to our intel, the shipment will be guarded by Hoenn's Dragon-Type Elite Four member, Drake," Truebird said.

"That explains why they're taking the water route."

Although Luo Yuan hadn't crossed paths with Drake directly while in Hoenn, he'd collected information on the Dragon-type Trainer.

In addition to being an Elite Four member, Drake was also a seasoned captain, so it made sense he'd choose the familiar sea route.

"Beyond Drake, there's a team of over twenty elite Trainers, a mix of League inspectors and International Police, providing additional security," Truebird added.

The level of security was top-notch.

Clearly, Hoenn was well aware that some might have their eyes on these stones.

But one thing puzzled Luo Yuan. How had Team Flare, with its limited resources, mustered the courage to target these stones?

Sensing his question, Truebird explained, "A portion of the security personnel are Kalos League members, and several of them have been compromised by Team Flare. With inside help, even if they couldn't overpower Drake, they planned to seize a portion of the stones amidst the chaos."

In other words, Rocket's plan to intercept would require a direct confrontation.

"As long as we can take down Drake, the rest will be a breeze," Luo Yuan concluded.

The difference in strength between Elite Four and non-Elite Trainers was immense; once Drake was dealt with, the remaining trainers would be easy pickings.

As for whether they could handle Drake—well, that was a given.

In fact, if he wanted to be cocky about it, Luo Yuan thought he could probably manage it without Sabrina.

"Still, my involvement might compromise my identity."

Luo Yuan glanced at Giovanni.

And by that, he didn't just mean his identity as "new Trainer Luo Yuan" but his cover as the "Tech Hunter."

If he showed up as the Tech Hunter in a Team Rocket mission, even the Hoenn League would piece together that the Tech Hunter was Rocket-affiliated, bringing unwanted attention to Rocket operations in Hoenn.

Hearing his concern, Giovanni smiled, as if expecting it. "For this operation, you won't need to act as a Rocket member. Actually, sending Sabrina along wasn't just for backup. Part of her role will be to help maintain your cover."

"On the surface, Sabrina will pose as your 'rival' from Team Rocket, competing with you for the Key Stones and Mega Stones. When you encounter the external threat of Drake, you can 'reluctantly' team up."

Luo Yuan turned to look at Sabrina.

Seeing her smiling face, he felt a pang of unease.

"Probably just my imagination."

He tried to reassure himself. The Sabrina he knew wore her emotions on her sleeve, so if she didn't seem angry, everything should be fine.

With that thought, he nodded to Giovanni. "Understood."

"The rest is up to you," Giovanni said, giving Luo Yuan considerable autonomy. He trusted him completely.

"Yes, sir."

The three of them took their leave.

—

After leaving Giovanni's office, they walked down the familiar corridor in silence.

Sabrina led, Luo Yuan followed a step behind, and Truebird trailed half a step behind him.

The atmosphere felt even stranger than it had in the office.

"?"

Luo Yuan glanced at Truebird, signaling for an explanation with his eyes.

Sabrina had shown no sign of anger in Giovanni's office, but ever since they'd left, she hadn't said a word. Something was off.

Truebird's lips curled in a faint smile, and she kept her gaze forward, pretending not to see his silent plea.

After so many instances of being on the receiving end of Luo Yuan's teasing, she was thoroughly enjoying his predicament.

"..."

Seeing Truebird would be no help, Luo Yuan sighed in resignation.

Just then, Sabrina came to an abrupt halt.

Unprepared, Luo Yuan walked right into her, catching a subtle, familiar fragrance.

"Wait... is that the perfume I got you?"

Half a year ago, before heading to Hoenn, he'd picked up a bottle from the Rainbow Gym's perfume shop as a parting gift.

Apparently, Sabrina had kept using it.

Rather than answer directly, Sabrina gave him a soft smile. "Since you changed your number after leaving for Hoenn, I lost your contact info. We should exchange numbers again."

"..."

Luo Yuan stiffened.

He'd just realized where the real issue lay.

---

T/N: To be honest I don't really like stories that are just Gotta Catch Em All Harem Edition, I really like depth in my characters! I think it's this story that's probably the closest so far to a gotta catch em all? but I've only read up to this part so who knows! I still like it though