Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Lillie was worried.

It wasn't her mother she was worried about—she believed that her teacher, Luo Yuan, was someone who always acted with discretion. If her mother truly had nothing to do with the situation, Luo Yuan wouldn't make things difficult for her.

Her main concern was for Luo Yuan.

The image of Nihilego in her memory was vivid and haunting. She feared Luo Yuan might encounter such Pokémon and get attacked.

Though...

Hearing Lillie's concerns, Luo Yuan gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry."

Nihilego might be terrifying to ordinary people, but to Luo Yuan, with his psychic abilities, the Rock/Poison-type Ultra Beast couldn't pose a real threat. It was impossible for it to parasitize him, and without that ability, it couldn't do much to harm him.

"Are you coming with me, Sabrina?" Luo Yuan asked.

Sabrina closed the novel she was halfway through, glanced at Lillie, and shook her head. "I'll stay here to protect Lillie."

This was to prevent Lusamine from pulling any tricks while Luo Yuan was at Aether Paradise—like sneaking in to take Lillie away.

Though such an act wouldn't affect their plans much, it would create unnecessary trouble.

"Fair enough." Luo Yuan nodded. His presence alone was sufficient for the operation, and with the elite Rocket Team brought by Matori, success was guaranteed.

Leaving Sabrina behind to guard Lillie was the most logical choice.

With that in mind, Luo Yuan drafted a formal notification and sent it to Lusamine's private email, which Lillie had provided.

"Well then, Sabrina, you and Lillie stay here at the hotel. I'll be back soon."

...

Aether Paradise

Lusamine stared at her tablet, reading the email Luo Yuan had sent.

Dear Ms. Lusamine,

In the interest of improving educational quality by combining school and home-based learning, I will be conducting a home visit tonight. Please prepare accordingly and ensure someone is home.

Sincerely,

Luo Yuan

Lusamine's expression twisted as she read the "home visit notification," and eventually, she laughed in exasperation.

Luo Yuan dared to come to her doorstep!?

He had seduced and manipulated her daughter, making it impossible for Aether Foundation to recover Cosmog, one of its critical assets.

He had defeated Guzma, her handpicked agent for retrieving Lillie, leading to her losing control over Team Skull entirely.

On top of that, she'd received word that Alola's Kahunas were planning to discuss Aether Foundation's recent actions at the upcoming festival—a potential disaster for her organization.

And now, this—Luo Yuan had the audacity to announce his arrival in advance?

The arrogance, the blatant disregard for Aether Foundation's authority...

Did he really think she was powerless? Did he truly believe Lusamine would let herself and her organization be trampled on?

Clenching the email in her hand, Lusamine vowed to show Luo Yuan what Aether Foundation was capable of.

Even if attacking a Johto Elite Four member might draw the League's attention, she no longer cared.

She would show him who ruled Alola.

---

Though Luo Yuan hadn't witnessed Lusamine's reaction firsthand, he could easily imagine it.

If Giovanni received a similarly provocative letter at Team Rocket's headquarters, the sender wouldn't live to see another day in Kanto.

And Giovanni was known for his calm demeanor. Lusamine, with her more obsessive personality, would undoubtedly take it worse.

But this worked to Team Rocket's advantage.

"Anger makes people irrational," Luo Yuan explained to Matori at Team Skull's base. "An irrational Lusamine will only make our mission easier."

Nearby, Guzma, who had finally decided to join Team Rocket after a week of deliberation, listened to Luo Yuan's words in silence. Though his face betrayed no emotion, his fear of Team Rocket deepened.

As someone who had worked with Lusamine and acted as her enforcer, Guzma thought he understood her well.

Yet here was Luo Yuan, someone who had never even met Lusamine in person, displaying a deeper grasp of her psychology than Guzma ever had.

"So this is what it means to control people's minds..."

Guzma thought back to how easily Luo Yuan had defeated him and persuaded him to switch sides.

This level of manipulation was terrifying.

Unaware of Guzma's internal monologue, Luo Yuan finished inspecting his team and turned to Matori. "How are things on Faba's end?"

"Everything is ready. He's awaiting the signal to act," Matori replied.

Faba, the critical insider for their operation, had already been informed. Tonight, he would deactivate Aether Foundation's air defenses and alarm systems.

Simultaneously, he would create chaos within the foundation to weaken their defenses, coordinating perfectly with Team Rocket's infiltration.

Hearing this, Guzma couldn't help but blurt out, "Faba?"

If memory served, Faba was one of Aether Foundation's key members.

Though Guzma had only interacted with him a few times, the man's unbearable demeanor had left a lasting impression.

Aether Foundation's senior staff member—one of Lusamine's most trusted aides—was a Rocket operative?

When he considered that Team Skull had already been absorbed into Luo Yuan's fold, Guzma began to wonder if Lusamine had anyone left to rely on.

The way Team Rocket had quietly infiltrated Alola was horrifying.

"Good thing I joined Team Rocket..." Guzma thought, his fear giving way to relief.

Having Team Rocket as an enemy was terrifying, but being on their side was incredibly reassuring.

For the first time in his life, Guzma felt that joining Team Rocket might have been the best decision he'd ever made.

Luo Yuan, noticing Guzma grinning inexplicably to himself, cast him a puzzled glance. Whatever Guzma found amusing, Luo Yuan couldn't see it. He simply chalked it up to Guzma's simple-minded joy.

"Time: Tonight. Location: Aether Paradise. Objective: Take over the Aether Foundation. Any questions?" Luo Yuan asked, scanning the room.

"None!" came the unanimous reply.

"Then let's move out!"

With a wave of his hand, Luo Yuan signaled the start of the operation.

The submarine-like airship submerged beneath the waves surged upward, breaking through the water's surface.

Its massive hull, adorned with the iconic crimson R, activated its cloaking device and soared into the sky, heading toward Aether Paradise.

---

...

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]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

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

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

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

—Leaf