Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Luo Yuan didn't linger long at the Team Rocket base.

By early the next morning, while Sabrina was still sleeping in, he had already arrived in Rustboro City.

As he entered the city, the towering Devon Corporation headquarters in the city center immediately caught his eye.

"Luo Yuan, long time no see!"

Roxanne greeted him warmly. This time, she was dressed in a gray one-piece dress with red stockings. Her twin-tails and a small bun added a lively energy to her appearance.

"It's been a while. I didn't expect you to be the one meeting me," Luo Yuan replied.

The last time they met was during the post-incident summary after the Groudon and Kyogre crisis. He hadn't anticipated their next encounter to be under these circumstances.

"Steven borrowed my gym as the battle venue," Roxanne explained helplessly.

To be honest, Roxanne didn't want to get involved in this matter.

The power gap between the two sides was too glaring, and this battle seemed heavily stacked against Luo Yuan.

But as a Gym Leader in the Hoenn region, she couldn't refuse when Champion Steven personally requested her assistance.

"You don't need to feel burdened about it. Who knows? I might just win against Steven," Luo Yuan said with a smile.

Roxanne assumed he was saying this to ease her worries. Her heart warmed, and her impression of him grew even fonder.

"Follow me. Lance has already arrived," she said.

"Oh? Lance is here already?" Luo Yuan nodded approvingly. "Punctual as always. Let's not keep him waiting."

---

Roxanne led Luo Yuan to Rustboro Gym. As soon as they arrived, Luo Yuan spotted Lance chatting with Silph Co.'s president.

"Lance!" Luo Yuan called out.

Hearing his voice, Lance turned around, a slightly exasperated expression on his face.

He had been attending to official duties in Johto when Luo Yuan called and asked him to be a witness for the battle.

Initially, Lance had wanted to refuse—Johto was already swamped with League matters.

But when Silph Co. sent an official invitation, Lance reconsidered. As a Kanto-based corporation, Silph Co.'s expansion into Hoenn could benefit Johto economically. In the end, he agreed to come.

Still...

"Luo Yuan, are you sure you can beat Steven?" Lance asked.

It wasn't that he doubted Luo Yuan's abilities. He had heard about Luo Yuan's achievements during his exchange program in Alola, where his strength among the Elite Four was indisputable.

But Steven was an entirely different caliber of opponent.

As Hoenn's Champion, Steven's strength was on par with Lance's own.

And Luo Yuan had never faced a Champion in battle before, which made Lance skeptical about his chances.

"You're raining on my parade right out of the gate. Whose side are you on, anyway? At least have some faith in me, Lance!" Luo Yuan teased.

"..."

Lance was momentarily speechless.

While he had a good relationship with Steven, he was first and foremost Johto's Elite Four member. Luo Yuan was right—he shouldn't be dampening the morale of his own side.

"Alright, fine. Good luck!" Lance said, giving Luo Yuan a thumbs-up.

Luo Yuan shuddered at the sight. "Never mind... just keep doubting me. It's less unsettling."

Meanwhile, Silph Co.'s president maintained a calm, confident smile. As the only one present who knew Luo Yuan's true identity, he likely had more faith in Luo Yuan's victory than Luo Yuan himself. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Time passed quickly as Luo Yuan and Lance chatted.

Before long, Steven and his entourage arrived at Rustboro Gym, right on time.

---

Steven wasn't alone.

Accompanying him were two others: the witness for the Hoenn side, the chairman of the Hoenn Pokémon Association, and Steven's father, Joseph Stone—the president of Devon Corporation and the mastermind behind this battle.

As soon as Joseph Stone entered the gym, the atmosphere shifted.

Silph Co.'s president and Devon Corporation's president immediately began a subtle clash of auras, their competitive tension palpable.

The match hasn't even started, and you two look like you're about to throw down, everyone thought.

But no one was surprised.

The commercial rivalry between Silph Co. and Devon Corporation had reached a fever pitch in recent months. If not for the Pokémon League's oversight, their conflict might have escalated into corporate sabotage by now.

Still, today wasn't about them.

Realizing they wouldn't be able to outdo each other in sheer presence, both presidents reined in their intensity and stepped aside, leaving the stage for the real stars of the day.

"Steven, long time no see. I didn't expect we'd meet under these circumstances," Luo Yuan greeted with a smile.

"Neither did I," Steven replied, his expression conflicted.

On one hand, Luo Yuan had been an immense help during the Groudon and Kyogre crisis.

On the other hand, Silph Co. had used Luo Yuan as a stepping stone to break into Hoenn's communications market, threatening Devon Corporation's dominance.

Now, Steven was forced to take the stage as Hoenn's Champion to confront Luo Yuan.

The situation left him with mixed emotions.

Luo Yuan could guess what Steven was thinking just by reading his face.

For someone who was usually seen as the strong one, it was a novel experience to be regarded as the underdog.

"Don't overthink it. Let's settle this with our strength," Luo Yuan said calmly.

Although he could have used mind games to unsettle Steven, he chose not to.

Firstly, it didn't suit him. Secondly, it wouldn't force Devon Corporation to accept defeat wholeheartedly.

Luo Yuan hadn't forgotten why he was here—to crush Devon Corporation's resistance and reclaim the Hoenn communications market.

Hearing Luo Yuan's words, Steven took a deep breath and composed himself.

He was right. They had come too far to back out now.

As Luo Yuan said, they would let their Pokémon do the talking.

In a world where many things could be faked, a Pokémon battle was one of the few absolute truths.

Steven gripped his Ultra Ball, his resolve firm.

Lance and the association chairman exchanged glances. Seeing that both trainers were ready, they nodded in unison.

"Let the battle to decide Silph Co.'s future in Hoenn... begin!"

---

T/N: He better use Charizard.

...

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