Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

The sight of the Z-Ring and Z-Crystal, items he had long dreamed of acquiring, being so effortlessly handed to Luo Yuan by Tapu Koko filled Kiawe with envy.

At the same time, he felt a deeper understanding of how important strength was.

If he had Luo Yuan's power, he was sure he could earn Island Queen Hapu's approval and inherit his grandfather's Z-Ring.

Determined, Kiawe resolved to follow Luo Yuan's training regimen more diligently.

Meanwhile, Luo Yuan observed the Z-Ring and Z-Crystal floating before him.

"Uh... is everyone in Alola this hospitable? Even the guardians?"

Without so much as a proper introduction, the items had been thrust into his hands.

Given such generosity, refusing would seem ungrateful. As a guest in Alola, he decided it was best to go along with their customs.

"Training is suspended," Luo Yuan announced.

Cheers erupted from behind him as Luo Yuan descended to the beach alongside Tapu Koko.

Sabrina, using her psychic powers, smoothed the sand to create a suitable battlefield.

Standing in the arena, Luo Yuan faced Tapu Koko. Turning back to Lillie and the others, he offered a small smile.

"Today, I'll teach you how to battle a legendary Pokémon."

With that, he released his Pokémon.

"Go, Slowbro!"

Everyone froze as the sight of the Slowbro registered.

Was he seriously using this seemingly clueless Slowbro against Tapu Koko?

They'd seen this Slowbro yesterday lazing on the beach all afternoon, barely awake. Was it really suitable for battling a Tapu Koko?

Not to mention, Slowbro's Water typing left it at a disadvantage against Tapu Koko's Electric attacks...

Luo Yuan noticed the concern etched on their faces and smirked.

Type advantages? If you don't get hit, type advantages are meaningless.

As for whether Slowbro could handle Tapu Koko...

"If you screw this up at such a critical moment, you'll regret it," Luo Yuan muttered to Slowbro.

Hearing his words, Slowbro, who had initially planned to half-heartedly participate, shivered. Snapping out of its stupor, it focused entirely on the battle.

Tapu Koko, too, shifted into a combat stance in midair upon seeing its opponent.

Whoosh!

A golden aura spread across the beach.

"It's Tapu Koko's ability, Electric Surge!" Māmane explained.

Electric Surge created an Electric Terrain on the battlefield, boosting the power of Electric-type moves for Pokémon grounded on the field.

In a flash, Tapu Koko accelerated, charging straight toward Slowbro.

Electro Ball!

Luo Yuan's psychic link with Slowbro allowed him to monitor Tapu Koko's movements in real-time. The moment it moved, he issued a command.

"Dodge to the right!"

Slowbro, attuned to Luo Yuan's mental instructions, rolled to the side just in time.

Tapu Koko's attack narrowly missed, skimming past Slowbro and blasting a section of the beach.

Sand erupted into the air, scattering far and wide.

A nearby Sandygast, whose little shovel had been blown off its head by the gust, poked out from the sand.

It glared furiously around, seeking the culprit, only to spot Tapu Koko above.

In an instant, its anger vanished.

It hastily burrowed into the sand, hiding itself.

Out here was far too dangerous—better to stay underground where it was safe.

No one paid attention to the Sandygast's sudden appearance and retreat. All eyes were fixed on the ongoing battle.

"Slowbro, use Safeguard!"

A shimmering, starlit barrier enveloped Slowbro just as Tapu Koko unleashed a wave of Thunder Wave.

The protective aura nullified the paralyzing effect of the electric attack.

Then, something astonishing happened.

Slowbro removed the Shellder clamped to its tail and placed it on its head.

In an instant, Slowbro evolved into Slowking.

Its previously vacant expression sharpened into one of intense focus.

"Wait... that's a thing?"

Lana and the others were dumbfounded by the transformation.

Only Lillie remained relatively calm, having previously seen Slowbro revert to Slowpoke by removing the Shellder during a hotel visit.

"Use Psychic!"

With its enhanced mental capabilities and Luo Yuan's precise psychic alignment, Slowking unleashed a Psychic attack so powerful that even Tapu Koko hesitated.

Unable to dodge in time, Tapu Koko retracted into its shell, a faint blue glow surrounding it.

Protect!

Boom!

Slowking's Psychic attack slammed into Tapu Koko's shell, unable to penetrate its defensive barrier.

The immense force converted into kinetic energy, driving Tapu Koko into the sand.

A massive crater formed, with Tapu Koko lying at the bottom alongside the trembling Sandygast it had inadvertently unearthed.

Crackle!

Tapu Koko's shell opened.

It shook its head and stared at Slowking with newfound respect.

Where it had initially underestimated the seemingly dopey Slowbro, it now realized its mistake.

Its demeanor grew serious.

Drawing energy from the Electric Terrain, Tapu Koko unleashed a surge of golden electricity.

Discharge!

From its position in the crater, a massive electric wave radiated outward, enveloping a radius of nearly 100 meters, including Slowking.

"This looks bad," Kiawe muttered, worried for Luo Yuan.

A field-wide Electric attack like Discharge could inflict considerable damage on Slowking.

But their concerns were unwarranted.

"So what if it hits? Use Amnesia!"

Luo Yuan's calm command reassured everyone.

A soft blue glow surrounded Slowking as it emptied its mind, significantly raising its already formidable Special Defense.

The electric current from Discharge barely made Slowking flinch, only causing it to shiver briefly.

By then, Slowking had already finished preparing its next move.

"Trick Room!"

A warped psychic field enveloped Slowking and Tapu Koko, flipping the battle's dynamics.

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl] 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf