Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Luo Yuan was pleased with President Silph's attitude. A win-win partnership was always the best outcome.

After discussing some of the finer details of their collaboration, Luo Yuan turned around and noticed that Steven and President Devon had quietly left the gym at some point.

The only ones remaining were the staff cleaning the gym's battlefield and Roxanne, the Gym Leader.

"Apologies for the state of your gym," Luo Yuan said, glancing at the chaos left behind.

Though the surface looked fine, the underground layers had been completely torn apart by Garchomp's Dig.

To properly restore the battlefield to gym standards, the entire area would need to be excavated and refilled. Even with the help of Pokémon, it would take several days to complete.

Hearing Luo Yuan apologize, Roxanne quickly shook her head. "It's no problem. Devon Corp rented out my gym as the battle venue. They're responsible for covering all damages."

While the staff was only doing basic cleanup, the detailed restoration was entirely Devon's responsibility.

Luo Yuan smirked as he imagined President Devon's perspective. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Shaking his head, he chuckled. Not only had Devon lost the battle, but they also had to foot the repair bill.

Though the expense was negligible for a company of Devon's size, the humiliation was immeasurable. Luo Yuan could almost picture how frustrated Devon must have been.

But sympathy? That wasn't in Luo Yuan's nature.

"Well then, please thank President Devon on my behalf for his generosity," Luo Yuan said with a sly smile, knowing full well his words would infuriate the man.

Would it drive President Devon to a breaking point? Luo Yuan doubted it. Running a corporation as large as Devon required a strong mental fortitude.

Roxanne: "..."

To her, Luo Yuan was both infuriatingly cunning and irresistibly charming.

Though Luo Yuan caught her reaction, he had no time to spare. With Sabrina and Matori already complicating his life, he didn't need to add more to the mix.

Under Roxanne's reluctant gaze, Luo Yuan left the Rustboro Gym.

---

Returning to Team Rocket's Hoenn base, Luo Yuan found Matori and Sabrina watching replays of his battle while scrolling through online comments.

When Luo Yuan entered, Matori gleefully read aloud several overly flattering comments, the kind that made him cringe.

Unable to endure it, Luo Yuan pinned her to the desk for a "lesson." Only then did she stop teasing him.

"Still," Sabrina interjected, sipping juice handed to her by Gardevoir, "you've really cemented your reputation in Hoenn after this match."

"That doesn't matter," Luo Yuan said, taking the juice from her to try it himself. "What juice is this?"

"Citrus Berry, with a hint of Pecha Berry. It's got an interesting taste, right?"

"Gardevoir's been experimenting with juice recipes lately. She's doing quite well," Sabrina added.

Luo Yuan glanced at Gardevoir, who nodded lightly.

He could only sigh in envy. None of his Pokémon were this considerate.

His Gengar loved pranks, Slowpoke only cared about eating and sleeping, and Dragapult, Gyarados, and Aerodactyl were obsessed with battles.

Even his most affectionate partner, Sylveon, clung to him constantly and refused to leave his side.

---

"Enough about that," Luo Yuan said, shifting the conversation. "Hoenn's League is going through some big changes. Steven just resigned, and Wallace has taken over as Champion. This transitional period is the perfect opportunity for Team Rocket to expand its influence here."

Hearing this, Hunter J, who had been silently blending into the background, finally spoke up.

"Is it time for us to act?"

After absorbing remnants of Team Magma and Team Aqua, J had spent the past few weeks solidifying her control. She was eager for an operation to test her recruits.

"Yes," Luo Yuan confirmed. "This is a rare chance. If Wallace solidifies his position, it'll be much harder for us to move."

"What's the target?" J asked, accustomed to Luo Yuan assigning tasks.

"Mauville City. Specifically, the remnants of Mauville Holdings," Luo Yuan replied, his voice firm.

"Mauville Holdings? Wasn't that company declared bankrupt?" J, having learned a lot about Hoenn during her time here, asked in confusion.

"It was," Luo Yuan said with a faint smile. "But I never said we'd be taking over a fully functional Mauville Holdings."

If Mauville Holdings were still intact, even the slowest response from the Hoenn League would have raised alarms at Team Rocket's attempt to control it.

But now, with the company in ruins, the League paid it no mind.

"What good is a bankrupt company?" J pressed.

"That's where you're wrong. While the company is gone, its legacy remains."

"Legacy?"

"The Neo Mauville Project," Luo Yuan explained. "It was an ambitious plan spearheaded by Mauville Holdings to build a futuristic technological metropolis, relocating the original Mauville City into this new hub. Environmental concerns and corporate struggles caused the project to be shut down, but its framework still exists."

"Our goal," Luo Yuan continued, "is to acquire Mauville Holdings, use it as a shell corporation, and restart the Neo Mauville Project. Ultimately, we'll use this to gain control over all of Mauville City."

"Take over Mauville City..."

Even J, now the highest-ranking officer of Team Rocket's Hoenn division, was stunned by the audacity of Luo Yuan's plan.

Mauville City was one of Hoenn's central metropolitan areas.

And now Luo Yuan was planning to control it entirely.

---

...

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