Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Following the path, they pressed forward.

Not a single wild Pokémon appeared along the way.

According to Tyranitar, some of the wild Pokémon in the area had been driven away by Deoxys, while others had fled on their own after Deoxys expelled them to secure a place to recover.

Forced out of their original habitats, these Pokémon naturally had to search for new territory.

Mt. Silver was like a toppled domino, setting off a chain reaction of disturbances.

In other words, Tyranitar and Deoxys were the culprits behind the chaos.

Of course, Tyranitar wasn't particularly concerned about this. In its eyes, it had only come here to heal. Even without its presence, the Pokémon of Mt. Silver would fight each other year after year to claim their own territories.

With Tyranitar—a "local" Pokémon—leading the way, Luo Yuan avoided unnecessary detours and quickly arrived at the heart of Mt. Silver.

Stopping before a cave, Tyranitar came to a halt.

"This is the place?" Luo Yuan asked, scanning the surroundings.

The cave bore clear signs of excavation and reinforcement. It was obvious that Tyranitar had put a great deal of effort into carving it out.

Hearing Luo Yuan's question, Tyranitar nodded, its eyes burning with resentment.

Luo Yuan understood.

Anyone would be furious if the home they had painstakingly built was stolen from them.

Extending his psychic senses into the cave, Luo Yuan quickly detected a presence—both familiar and foreign.

Familiar, because the aura unmistakably belonged to Deoxys, resembling the one Luo Yuan had already captured. Foreign, because the psychic waves it emitted were entirely different from his own Deoxys.

"Let's go in!" Luo Yuan waved his hand.

With Luo Yuan backing it up, Tyranitar straightened its posture, puffed out its chest, and strode into the cave with an air of dominance.

The interior of the cave was brighter than Luo Yuan had expected.

As soon as he stepped inside, his gaze was drawn to the massive black triangular prism at the center of the cave—and the Deoxys contained within.

The sight was eerily familiar. Luo Yuan couldn't help but recall the moment he first captured his own Deoxys. A wave of nostalgia washed over him.

At the same time, he noticed Officer Jenny and her team unconscious in a corner of the cave.

Piecing together what he had learned from Lance and Nurse Joy, he knew that Officer Jenny's team had reached the heart of Mt. Silver and discovered Deoxys.

Just as they were about to report back to Lance, they were ambushed and knocked out by Deoxys, cutting off communication. That was when Lance had sent Luo Yuan on this rescue mission...

"Ban—!"

Tyranitar roared toward the Deoxys at the center of the cave, its voice filled with accusation.

Swish!

The sleeping Deoxys snapped its eyes open. Its icy gaze fell upon Tyranitar, silencing its protests instantly.

Tyranitar involuntarily recalled the brutal beating it had suffered at Deoxys' hands before. Its voice faltered, growing weaker.

Luo Yuan found this rather amusing.

Still, now that Tyranitar was under his command, he couldn't just let his own Pokémon get bullied.

Taking a step forward, Luo Yuan spoke, "So, you're the one who beat up my new pokemon?"

As he spoke, he imbued his words with psychic energy.

His voice wasn't just heard—it resonated directly in Deoxys' mind.

As expected, Deoxys' attention shifted immediately from Tyranitar to Luo Yuan.

It stared at Luo Yuan, a flicker of confusion crossing its eyes.

It could sense a companion's aura on this human, yet there was no sign of its actual kin.

Half a year ago, it had awakened from its slumber and pursued the lingering traces of its companion's energy across Kanto, Kalos, and Hoenn—only to find nothing.

The fruitless search had left Deoxys disheartened.

Not long ago, it had even been attacked by a Pokémon called Lugia while at sea.

Forced to retreat, it had followed the densest concentration of its companion's energy to Johto, choosing Mt. Silver as a place to recover—hoping that its kin would eventually find it here.

But things hadn't gone as expected.

It could indeed sense its companion's aura now...

So why was it coming from a human?

Luo Yuan could tell exactly what Deoxys was thinking just by looking at it.

"I know what you're looking for..." Luo Yuan murmured, glancing at the unconscious Officer Jenny and her team.

To ensure they wouldn't wake up, he cast another round of [Hypnosis] over each of them, making absolutely sure that no matter what happened next, they wouldn't be waking anytime soon.

"But if you want answers, you'll have to battle me first."

As soon as he finished speaking—

Luo Yuan tossed out an Ultra Ball.

Hiss—!

Dragapult emerged onto the field, coiling its body midair as it locked eyes with Deoxys.

Gengar!

A shadow flickered, and Gengar materialized from Luo Yuan's own shadow, grinning mischievously as it faced Deoxys.

It had been half a year—

And Luo Yuan was once again deploying the same lineup he had used to capture Deoxys the first time.

This... this is a classic rematch!

However, compared to six months ago, Luo Yuan had grown significantly stronger.

He was no longer the same trainer he had been back then.

At the same time, this Deoxys was in far better condition than the one he had previously captured.

Deoxys eyed Dragapult and Gengar, instantly grasping Luo Yuan's intent.

Its gaze sharpened as it deactivated the black triangular prism that had been aiding its recovery. Its tendrils shifted, morphing into attack mode—ready for battle.

Beside it, Tyranitar let out a defiant roar, unwilling to be left out.

Three Pokémon surrounded Deoxys from all sides.

"Go!"

At Luo Yuan's command, Dragapult made the first move.

Having battled Deoxys before, Dragapult knew its opponent all too well.

A dark void appeared in front of it as Dragapult slipped into the shadows—[Phantom Force].

In the next instant, it reappeared behind Deoxys, launching a [Shadow Ball] from its mouth.

At the same time, Gengar sprang into action.

Gengar!

It first hurled a [Shadow Ball] of its own, then followed up with a massive [Shadow Claw], slashing down toward Deoxys.

Faced with attacks from both sides, Deoxys reacted simply.

Swish!

In an instant, it shifted into Defense Forme.

Boom!

The Shadow Balls exploded upon impact, and the [Shadow Claw] struck true—

But Deoxys had only suffered minor damage.

---

T/N: my goodness... it's been so long welcome back Luo Yuan