Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

"Carr, are you teaching me how to do my job?"

Hearing Luo Yan's words and feeling the cold, piercing gaze of Deoxys—the very Pokémon that had dominated the battlefield just moments before—Carr couldn't help but shudder.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

It wasn't just the reprimand; what unnerved him even more was that he'd spoken out of self-interest.

This entire Alliance raid on Team Rocket's Sevii Islands Division had started with him.

If he hadn't led Lorelei to the base on Five Island, none of this would have happened, so he was responsible.

But it was more than that. Giovanni was no stranger to setbacks, and could certainly tolerate a few failures.

The real issue was that Carr's performance on the battlefield had been disastrous.

His two critical errors had nearly doomed the entire Sevii Islands operation.

Carr was certain that a severe reprimand awaited him from Giovanni.

But if...

Just if... if Luo Yan could capture the League trainers on the Sevii Islands in one fell swoop—capturing Lorelei and Lance—then Team Rocket's overwhelming victory would overshadow Carr's mistakes.

That was why he'd wanted to chase them.

Now, with Deoxys's and Luo Yan's intense stares fixed on him, Carr quickly caved, nodding in silence.

But Luo Yan knew Carr's character all too well.

Just by looking at his face, Luo Yan could guess exactly what was running through his mind.

"Carr, oh, Carr..." Luo Yan sighed in exasperation. "Is this really the time for your petty scheming?"

"You... you knew?" Carr's eyes widened.

"Come on, anyone could see what you were up to."

Orm, who had been applying medicine to his injured Shuckles: "???"

"Sorry, didn't mean you, Orm," Luo Yan apologized to him.

Then, turning back to Carr, he continued, "Carr, do you even realize what would've happened if we'd chased them?"

"...No, I don't," Carr admitted, now completely under Luo Yan's lead.

Luo Yan raised two fingers.

"If we'd continued the chase, there would've been only two possible outcomes."

"One: Lance and Lorelei would've fought back with all they had, escaped, and Team Rocket would be facing an even harsher retaliation from the League."

"Two: We'd capture Lance and Lorelei."

Carr interjected excitedly, "If we capture Lance and Lorelei..."

Luo Yan rolled his eyes.

He used to think Carr only seemed stupid because he was agitated whenever they argued. Now, he realized it might be his default state.

But since he'd started, he might as well explain it thoroughly.

With a sigh, Luo Yan continued:

"It might sound simple—'capture Lorelei and Lance'—but have you considered the problem that poses?"

"Can the League afford to let us capture two of its Elite Four, who represent the very face of the League?"

"If you capture them, where would that leave the League's pride?"

"If Team Rocket's unspoken agreement with the League were to shatter, we wouldn't just be facing the Kanto and Johto Leagues."

"And then..."

Luo Yan left the sentence hanging, letting the implications sink in.

Carr's face paled with the realization, and nearby, Matori and Sird nodded in agreement. Even Orm seemed to ponder it deeply.

Luo Yan's respect for Giovanni only grew.

There were many powerful trainers and even those who could control Legendary Pokémon. But to run an organization like Team Rocket across multiple regions without triggering a full-scale League crackdown? That took a rare kind of wisdom.

It was Giovanni's years of work laying deep roots for Team Rocket that had made it possible.

Today, Team Rocket's reach stretched across every sector in Kanto and Johto—not just the underworld.

In the open, Team Rocket had corporations involved in entertainment, real estate, pharmaceuticals—virtually every industry.

This was why the League was unwilling to move against Team Rocket, even allowing members who were caught to be bailed out.

It was an unspoken understanding between Team Rocket and the League.

Even Lorelei, when targeting Team Rocket, had chosen a more isolated base in the Sevii Islands.

Though vast, the Sevii Islands Division was ultimately far less critical than Kanto and Johto; it could be rebuilt if destroyed.

But if Giovanni knew how close Carr had come to shattering that balance, he would certainly be in deep trouble.

"So, what should I..."

After hearing Luo Yan's explanation, Carr was more anxious than ever.

In his usual duties, he'd only handled combat and maybe some equipment development—never had he thought in such strategic terms.

Now that Luo Yan had laid it all out, he realized the mess he was in.

Desperate, he looked toward Luo Yan...

Seeing his expression, Luo Yan waved a hand.

"Alright, don't give me that look. Sure, we've had... well, a few disagreements. But I'm not going to go running to Giovanni about this."

"Besides, given that I captured Deoxys, I'll make sure to explain the Five Island incident to Giovanni on your behalf."

Carr's eyes were filled with gratitude as he looked at Luo Yan.

Without waiting for a response, Luo Yan turned to Sird and Orm.

"I'll leave the cleanup and the rest to you," he said, then walked with Matori toward the docked airship.

---

Back aboard Team Rocket's airship, Luo Yan sat back on a couch, listening to the engines roar to life.

Matori turned to him with a curious look.

"You're actually going to speak up for Carr? That's... unusual for you."

"?"

Luo Yan pointed at himself. "Am I really that petty in your eyes?"

Watching Matori nod without hesitation left Luo Yan speechless.

There was no denying it—Matori knew him far too well.

"Alright... I admit, there was a reason behind it."

"For one, with the heavy losses to the Sevii Islands Division, Giovanni wouldn't punish a valuable asset like Carr, given our current circumstances."

"I'm just taking advantage of Giovanni's natural inclination to let Carr off lightly, doing him a small favor."

Giovanni would certainly understand that the damage was done, and eliminating Carr now would serve no purpose.

Keeping him in line, making him work harder to repay his mistake, was the best way to recover the losses.

Matori considered it and found it aligned well with Giovanni's mindset.

But she still seemed puzzled.

"But given your history with Carr..."

"People have to adapt to changes, don't they? Sure, Carr's a bit of an idiot, but he's strong, and I need his support..."

Luo Yan patted the Master Ball at his waist, giving Matori a sly smile. "Don't you think I now have the strength to form my own faction within Team Rocket?"

Matori's eyes lit up. Finally, she understood what Luo Yan was getting at!

---

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