Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Drake considered calling for Kanto League backup.

But he dismissed the idea just as quickly.

The S.S. Anne was far from port by now, and even if the League sent help, there was no guarantee they'd arrive in time.

In any case, unless they sent an Elite or a battalion, reinforcements wouldn't be of much use here.

Not that it mattered—any message for help wouldn't go through. Team Rocket had jammed all signals around the S.S. Anne. Until they completed their operation, no one could send or receive anything.

On the other side of the deck, Luo Yuan and Sabrina exchanged a subtle glance, their silent communication complete.

Luo Yuan asked, "Operation going well?"

Sabrina responded, "As planned."

Reading the intent in her eyes, Luo Yuan smirked slightly beneath his mask.

Now... it was time for the next act. Following the script, he said aloud, "Kanto's Team Rocket? I didn't expect you to get involved here too."

He turned to Sabrina and the Rocket members behind her, feigning unfamiliarity.

Watching Luo Yuan's flawless performance, Sabrina raised an eyebrow.

While his acting was certainly a good thing, she couldn't shake an odd feeling about it.

But mission first. She brushed off the thought, replying according to the script, "The Tech Hunter... all the way from Hoenn, and you didn't even bother to notify us on Team Rocket's turf?"

"They don't know each other?"

Listening to their exchange, Drake began to form a hypothesis.

He studied them closely, noting that while they talked, both maintained defensive stances, wary of each other.

Just as he suspected.

The situation was bad, but at least his worst fear hadn't come true. The Tech Hunter and Team Rocket both wanted the Mega Stones he was guarding, but they weren't allies—at least, they weren't working together.

Which meant they might fight each other before getting to him.

Maybe he could use this to his advantage?

Just as Drake began to form a plan, the tone of the conversation shifted.

"The Hoenn League's Dragon Elite, Drake, is guarding those Mega Stones... Can Team Rocket handle that?"

"So you're suggesting..."

"Why don't we join forces? Split the haul fifty-fifty?"

"We brought quite a few people for this. Fifty-fifty's a bit low—how about seventy-thirty? We get seventy."

"Sixty-forty. That's as far as I'm willing to go."

"Deal."

Sabrina rolled her eyes as she finished the lines, trying not to sigh. The script Luo Yuan had written was nothing short of ridiculous.

But he'd gotten Giovanni's approval, so all she could do was follow it.

---

Listening to their exchange, Drake received a simple but crushing revelation.

"They're teaming up?"

Drake felt like spitting blood. Since when did he carry such weight that a powerhouse criminal organization and a Hoenn renegade would actually join forces against him?

And really—where was their sense of honor as strong trainers?

To cave so quickly over Mega Stones, such valuable items?

Honestly, Drake wanted to shout at them.

But being the Hoenn League's Elite, he kept his composure. He took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.

It was time to abandon all hope of an easy escape.

With a flick of his wrist, Drake released two more Poké Balls.

There was no room left for half-measures.

Salamence, Altaria, Flygon, and Kingdra now stood in a protective formation around him, facing off against Luo Yuan, Sabrina, and the elite Rocket squad.

"If you want a fight, come get it!"

Drake didn't attempt to flee—not out of pride alone, but because he knew, from earlier, that his Pokémon couldn't outrun Dragapult.

Running would get him nowhere.

Luo Yuan exchanged a glance with Sabrina.

They gave their commands simultaneously.

"Dragapult/Alakazam!"

"Shadow Ball/Psybeam!"

The black Shadow Ball and the colorful Psybeam streaked forward, forming an eerie, dazzling glow.

With a wave, Drake's Flygon and Kingdra surged forward to intercept the attacks.

Having committed to this battle, Drake wasn't holding back.

"Salamence!" he called.

At his call, a pendant shaped like a ship's wheel around Drake's neck began to glow, while Salamence itself was enveloped in blue and red light.

In a flash, Salamence's form transformed.

Its front limbs disappeared within a new armored shell, and its wings merged into massive, blood-red crescent blades.

"Graaaargh!"

Mega Salamence let out a roar as a surge of raw power radiated from it, more intense than anything before.

"Mega Evolution? So that's your trump card?"

Luo Yuan watched Mega Salamence with a hint of admiration.

He had to admit, Mega Salamence looked even cooler post-evolution—enough to make him a bit envious.

In response, Drake only offered a cold snort.

Mega Salamence, perfectly attuned to Drake's intentions, immediately unleashed a Dragon Pulse aimed directly at Dragapult.

"Light Screen!"

A wall of light materialized in front of Dragapult.

Crack.

Dragon Pulse hammered the barrier, fracturing it, threatening to shatter completely.

"Much stronger than before..."

Previously, Dragapult's Light Screen could withstand Dragon Pulse, but now...

Boom!

The Light Screen crumbled with a thunderous crash.

However, with that brief moment of defense, Luo Yuan and Dragapult had shifted position, leaving Dragon Pulse to harmlessly hit the deck.

"Impressive. But what can a single Mega Salamence do?"

From the sidelines, Sabrina's Alakazam twirled its spoon, generating a massive wave of psychic energy that surged toward Mega Salamence.

Dragapult didn't hesitate either, firing off a Dragon Darts—the same move that had injured Salamence's wings earlier.

Meanwhile, Gengar threw a Shadow Ball, intercepting Altaria, which was trying to cover for Mega Salamence.

Behind them, the Team Rocket operatives sprang into action, engaging Drake's apprentices and pinning down Flygon and Kingdra to keep them out of the main fray.

---

T/N: BAH lightwork OH! It's Cece's birthdayy tomorrow! heh well not when i post this

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

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