Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

While Luo Yuan communicated with Groudon and Kyogre, Steven and the other Hoenn League trainers stood by, watching in silence, their feelings a mixture of relief and unease.

They were grateful that the catastrophic disaster threatening to destroy all of Hoenn had been averted.

But the fear lingered—that the Tech Hunter might exploit Groudon and Kyogre to create an even greater disaster.

After all, unlike Maxie and Archie, who had tried and failed to control the two legendary Pokémon, the Tech Hunter had defeated them outright through sheer strength.

If he truly intended harm, there was little they could do to stop him.

When Luo Yuan ascended into the sky without attempting to capture Groudon or Kyogre, everyone, including Steven, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

If the Tech Hunter left quietly, that would be the best possible outcome.

But Luo Yuan's next action quickly shattered those hopes.

His words were a hammer, freezing the faint smiles on their faces.

"I hereby declare," his amplified voice boomed across the battlefield, "that from today forward, Team Rocket officially expands into Hoenn!"

Team Rocket? The Tech Hunter and Team Rocket?

The trainers struggled to connect the dots.

Steven, Wallace, and the other high-ranking League members had previously received intelligence suggesting a potential collaboration between the Tech Hunter and Team Rocket.

But collaboration was one thing.

This public declaration of Team Rocket's expansion, with the Tech Hunter acting as its figurehead, was a completely different matter.

Steven's heart sank as an ominous thought took shape.

"What if... the Tech Hunter has been a Team Rocket executive all along?"

If true, it would explain everything—the lack of any prior records, the sudden emergence of someone with such overwhelming strength.

It made sense if he had been hiding under the guise of anonymity, operating as a Rocket executive from the start.

The realization chilled Steven to his core.

Team Rocket's invasion of Hoenn had been meticulously planned.

With Hoenn's criminal organizations, Team Magma and Team Aqua, fully mobilized to awaken Groudon and Kyogre, their hold over the region was at an all-time low.

A preemptive strike against their bases would allow Team Rocket to uproot these deeply entrenched groups with minimal effort.

The League trainers, normally vigilant against external threats, had been wholly occupied with the Groudon and Kyogre crisis, leaving them no room to guard against Team Rocket's incursion.

Steven didn't need further investigation to know the truth—Team Rocket had already infiltrated Hoenn during the chaos.

Now, with the Tech Hunter—backed by his legendary triumph over Groudon and Kyogre—standing as the face of Team Rocket in Hoenn, every step of their plan had fallen perfectly into place.

It was a level of precision that left Steven, Wallace, and the others visibly shaken.

Giovanni and Matori, meanwhile, stood aside, wearing faint smiles, perfectly content to let the chaos play out.

The rank-and-file Hoenn trainers, unaware of the full implications, remained frozen in confusion, awaiting direction from Steven.

---

Unbeknownst to Steven, his deductions were remarkably accurate. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Had Luo Yuan overheard Steven's thoughts, he might have even applauded him.

Steven had pieced together nearly every detail of the "Hoenn Invasion Plan" that Luo Yuan and Giovanni had crafted.

Of course, Steven had missed one key aspect of Luo Yuan's proclamation.

The high-profile declaration wasn't just to pressure the League—it was also a message to the remnants of Team Magma and Team Aqua.

Many of Maxie and Archie's subordinates were gathered at Sootopolis City as part of their failed plans to control Groudon and Kyogre.

With Team Rocket's entry into Hoenn officially announced, these disillusioned remnants now represented a significant instability within the region.

Luo Yuan aimed to crush their spirit further.

After witnessing their leaders' defeat and the collapse of their dreams to rule the land and sea, these former zealots would be ripe for recruitment.

And judging by the hollow expressions on the faces of the Team Magma and Team Aqua members below, Luo Yuan's plan was progressing smoothly.

---

Luo Yuan didn't linger.

He turned his attention to Groudon and Kyogre, transmitting a telepathic message to both.

The legendary Pokémon responded without hesitation.

Their glowing markings pulsed in unison, and the bodies of Maxie and Archie, still standing in a trance-like state nearby, trembled violently.

Two glowing orbs—the Red Orb and the Blue Orb—emerged from their bodies, floating into Luo Yuan's hands.

With their connection to the orbs severed, Groudon and Kyogre lowered their heads respectfully before retreating.

One climbed over the mountains, while the other slipped beneath the ocean waves, both returning to their ancient dwellings.

Luo Yuan tucked the orbs into Gengar's cavernous belly for safekeeping.

Retracting Mewtwo and Deoxys, he mounted Rayquaza and ascended into the clouds, vanishing from sight.

All that remained was the aftermath of the battle—ruined buildings, smoldering rubble, and Maxie and Archie, who had just regained consciousness.

"What... just happened?"

"Where is everyone?"

Maxie and Archie looked around warily, each watching the other as they searched for their subordinates.

But most of their followers, shaken by Luo Yuan's overwhelming display of power, had abandoned their former leaders.

Many had fled Sootopolis City to avoid being captured by the League, hoping to take their chances with Team Rocket instead.

The few loyalists who remained were quickly rounded up by Giovanni and Matori.

Before Steven and the others could react, Giovanni intercepted Maxie and Archie, a polite smile on his face.

"If you wouldn't mind," Giovanni said smoothly, flanked by his Rhyperior. "Please come with us."

Maxie and Archie, their Pokémon exhausted and unable to fight, exchanged nervous glances.

Faced with Giovanni's calm but commanding presence, they swallowed hard and complied without protest.