Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [233]

Hearing Gary's response, Luo Yuan didn't even blink. "No problem!"

"Then it's a deal!" Gary said quickly.

By this point, Kingler and Scyther had already started their battle. Kingler was clearly on the defensive, while Scyther held a commanding advantage.

Gary worried Luo Yuan might back out of their bet and wanted to lock it in as quickly as possible.

"In such a rush? Aren't you going to ask what kind of room I'm staying in?" Luo Yuan asked, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"What could be more expensive than my room?" Gary retorted, raising an eyebrow.

Just as Luo Yuan was about to respond, the battle on the field shifted dramatically.

Scyther's X-Scissor struck Kingler head-on, but the crab endured the attack, its body absorbing the damage.

Undeterred, Kingler clamped down on Scyther with its smaller claw, locking the mantis in place. No matter how hard Scyther beat its wings or struggled, it couldn't break free from Kingler's grip.

"A surprising turn of events! Ash's Kingler withstands Scyther's attack and successfully pins it down!"

With Scyther immobilized, the situation looked dire.

Kingler's massive claw began to glow with a brilliant white light.

Then…

With one powerful swing, Kingler smashed its glowing claw into Scyther's torso.

The impact sent Scyther flying across the field.

However, it didn't lose its fighting spirit just yet.

"Kingler's Crabhammer lands a solid hit on Scyther, but it seems the attack didn't connect with a critical spot," Kyosuke explained from the commentary booth.

Crabhammer was a move known for its high critical hit ratio. If it had struck Scyther's weak point, the match would have ended right there.

Gary, who had been holding his breath, exhaled deeply as Scyther regained its footing.

It was as if a patient on the brink of suffocation had just received a crucial gasp of oxygen.

His relief was short-lived.

Ash suddenly yelled, "Let's go, Kingler! Put everything into a Hyper Beam!"

"Hyper Beam?"

Gary froze, unable to process what was happening.

Before he could react, Kingler raised its massive claw, yellow energy rapidly coalescing at its tip.

A split second later, the beam erupted forward.

The golden energy engulfed Scyther in an instant.

Without a sound, Scyther crumpled to the ground, completely defeated.

"Scyther is unable to battle! Kingler wins!" the referee declared, raising his flag.

Gary stared blankly at the field.

He looked like a patient who had just realized the oxygen line they were relying on was actually hooked up to a natural gas tank.

It wasn't until Kaoru sent out her third Pokémon, a Bellsprout, that Gary finally snapped out of it.

With a hesitant tone, he asked Luo Yuan, "Uh… what kind of room did you book?"

"Oh, nothing too extravagant. Just my usual—a luxury suite with a private pool," Luo Yuan replied nonchalantly.

"..."

Gary wanted to cry.

Why had he let his competitive spirit cloud his judgment?

Why had he forgotten all the lessons Luo Yuan had taught him in the past?

Still, if he was going to lose, Gary wanted to at least understand why.

"Luo Yuan, how did you know Ash would win? On paper, Scyther was clearly the stronger Pokémon."

"I'm just as curious," Luo Yuan admitted. "That Kingler has ridiculous vitality and willpower. I'm dying to know what Professor Oak did to raise it. What kind of diet or training regimen could possibly result in something like that?"

"Don't tell me he used a Bunsen burner or bathed it in instant noodle water," he joked.

When Luo Yuan had scanned Kingler with his psychic abilities earlier, he'd been struck by the sheer life force emanating from the Pokémon and its unyielding determination.

Compared to Kingler's vitality, Scyther's strength seemed insignificant.

Of course, Luo Yuan wasn't going to reveal his psychic abilities so plainly.

Instead, he gave a more subtle answer. "Why don't you ask your grandfather?"

Gary nodded thoughtfully, understanding the implication.

Ash's match ended with some difficulty.

Although Kaoru's Bellsprout wasn't much of a threat to someone like Luo Yuan—his Charizard could have defeated it with a single Ember—it proved to be a significant challenge for Ash.

Bellsprout managed to take down both Kingler and Bulbasaur before Ash's Muk came in to secure the victory.

As Ash celebrated his hard-earned win and advancement to the top 16, Gary found himself torn.

Should he mourn the soon-to-be-empty state of his wallet or rejoice in the fact that Ash would make for an easy quarterfinal opponent?

After fending off a swarm of reporters, Ash finally left the arena and approached Luo Yuan.

"I get it now," Ash said as soon as he saw him.

"Get what?" Luo Yuan asked, puzzled.

"I understand why you avoid interviews after every match. They're so annoying!" Ash exclaimed, visibly exasperated.

Gary, standing to the side, let out a long sigh.

Unlike Ash, his thoughts weren't on the reporters—his mind was stuck on the painful realization of just how much this bet was going to cost him.

---

Gary's match was scheduled for the afternoon, but Luo Yuan didn't bother to watch.

There was no need.

With Gary's strength, Luo Yuan was confident he would win without breaking a sweat.

At the moment, Luo Yuan was lounging on his hotel bed. Eevee lay sprawled out on his stomach, enjoying his pats, while Gengar and Mimikyu playfully tussled in the corner.

"You're telling me Malva wants to interview me?" Luo Yuan asked, sitting up slightly at Professor Oak's words.

"That's right. I was a bit surprised myself when I heard," Oak admitted.

It had already been shocking enough when Malva decided to serve as a commentator for the Indigo League.

Now she wanted to conduct an exclusive interview with Luo Yuan?

Could it be that Malva was planning to establish a foothold in Kanto's journalism industry?

Was she trying to use this as a stepping stone to break into Kanto's news circuit?

While Oak's mind wandered down various speculative paths, Luo Yuan's thoughts remained grounded.

The reason he had avoided interviews thus far was to save his momentum for a grander debut.

He wanted to create a buzz that would maximize profits for Silph Co., in which he held shares, and, by extension, for himself.

But with Malva's prominence as an Elite Four member, her involvement was enough to guarantee widespread attention.

"Alright, I'll do it. Just not during lunch—I'm meeting Misty and Sabrina then. Let's schedule it for the evening," Luo Yuan decided.

---

T/N: Professor Oak really training Ash's pokemon on the down low...

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