Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Gary couldn't believe his eyes—or rather, even after seeing it with his own two eyes, he still found it hard to accept that this massive estate was Luo Yuan's new home.

As someone who had always prided himself on being a wealthy second-generation kid, cruising around in a sports car, Gary had never even dreamed of owning an estate this grand.

Which explained the incredulous expression on his face when he called Luo Yuan.

"Is this estate really your new home?" Gary asked for confirmation, again and again.

"I've told you a hundred times—yes. I'll open the gate for you now. Just come on in," Luo Yuan replied.

Moments later, the iron gate in front of Gary opened automatically.

"...."

It was only then that Gary finally believed Luo Yuan wasn't pulling his leg.

Still, this was just...

Are Elite Fours making this much money these days?

Pokémon Trainers truly were a career with a future.

Lost in his musings, Gary walked into the estate.

The meticulously manicured gardens, the classical-style architecture, and the intimidating-looking bodyguards all left Gary speechless.

He couldn't help but calculate in his head how much Luo Yuan must be spending every month just to pay these people.

Little did Gary know, those "bodyguards" were actually members of Team Rocket rotating shifts at Luo Yuan's place, with their salaries fully funded by Team Rocket's budget.

---

After some time, Gary finally met Luo Yuan.

"Seriously, Luo Yuan, you moved into a massive estate like this without saying a word," Gary said.

"It didn't cost much," Luo Yuan replied honestly.

But to Gary, those words were the ultimate humblebrag. Deciding it wasn't worth the effort to argue, Gary greeted Sabrina, who was sipping tea nearby, before looking around.

"Where's Ash?"

Luo Yuan couldn't help but feel there was a sour undertone when Gary mentioned Ash's name.

Clearly, Gary still hadn't gotten over the time Professor Oak gave Ash a special Pokémon egg, bypassing him entirely. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Don't you know him better than I do? Has he ever been on time for anything?" Luo Yuan retorted.

Gary thought about it for a moment and nodded in agreement. "That's true."

If Ash weren't late, he wouldn't be Ash.

"I've been reading about the big incident in the Hoenn region lately. Luo Yuan, do you know anything about it?" Gary asked, curious.

The events in Hoenn had drawn the world's attention, not just the region's.

"Yeah, I just got back from Hoenn recently. I was there when it happened," Luo Yuan said.

"Really? Tell me everything!" Gary's face lit up with interest. He was eager to get some first-hand information from Luo Yuan to use as conversation starters with his girlfriend later.

But before Luo Yuan could speak, the sounds of Ash and Pikachu came from outside.

Luo Yuan shrugged at Gary. "He's here."

---

Unlike Gary, Ash wasn't overly surprised by the estate.

Gary, curious about Ash's reaction, tried dropping hints, but Ash remained unfazed. Instead, he found Gary's behavior strange.

Gary even began to doubt himself. Was this estate really just ordinary?

Luo Yuan, however, understood Ash's personality better. He figured Ash wasn't calm by nature—he simply had no concept of what made an estate impressive, so it didn't register with him.

Casually, Luo Yuan tossed a bottle of ketchup and a packet of Pokéblocks, both brought back from Hoenn, to Pikachu.

Then he turned to Gary and Ash. "I've got gifts for both of you."

"!"

Under their puzzled gazes, Luo Yuan pulled out two Poké Balls from his belt.

"These were a gift from Steven in Hoenn. I don't have much use for them, so they're yours," Luo Yuan explained.

Inside the Poké Balls were two Aron.

While Aron were fairly common in Hoenn's mountains, their final evolution, Aggron, was incredibly powerful and worth raising.

Steven had caught these while mining in the mountains, and they had decent potential. Luo Yuan wasn't interested in them, so he used this opportunity to gift them to his two friends.

Given their close relationship, there was no need for formalities or words of thanks.

"Aron, huh..." Gary said as he released the Pokémon from its ball.

Though he hadn't been to Hoenn, Gary knew of its notable Pokémon species, including the Aron line.

Ash, meanwhile, had his Pokédex out, scanning Aron repeatedly.

Finally, Brock couldn't take it anymore and began explaining Aron's basic traits to Ash.

While Ash listened intently to Brock, the Aron he had just released—hungry from being cooped up—spotted Ash's clothes.

Or, more accurately, the metal badge case in Ash's pocket.

As Brock explained Aron's diet of metal, the hungry Aron crouched low and suddenly launched itself at Ash, latching onto his chest.

Crunch!

The famished Aron bit down hard on the badge case.

Ash panicked when he realized what was happening. He had only earned one badge in Johto so far, but it was still precious to him!

In his panic, Ash instinctively shouted, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika?"

Pikachu, busy squeezing ketchup onto a Pokéblock, reacted immediately to Ash's command and unleashed a Thunderbolt without thinking.

Zap!

The air filled with the smell of burnt fabric.

Though charred black, Ash managed to wrestle the badge case out of Aron's mouth.

"..."

Luo Yuan watched the scene unfold, his eye twitching.

He decided it might be better to keep his distance from Ash in the future to avoid getting caught up in his antics.

Gary, meanwhile, couldn't bear to watch anymore.

In the end, Gary had Blastoise give Ash a quick rinse, and Luo Yuan had Dragonite dry him off.

Looking at the slightly-less-charred Ash, Luo Yuan turned to his friends. "I'm planning to head to the Alola region next. You probably won't see me in Johto for a while. Don't miss me too much."

"Tch!" Gary scoffed. "Who'd miss you? By the time you're back, I'll be challenging your Elite Four title!"

Gary's declaration was as typical of him as ever.

It was best not to take him seriously.

Meanwhile, Ash tilted his head, then quietly turned to Brock and asked, "Where's Alola?"

---

...

If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.

Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!

If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.

Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.

– Syr ✨