Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [321]

"The situation is clear," Luo Yuan said as he lowered the communicator. He turned toward Roxanne and Winona. "Do you have any suggestions?"

As local Gym Leaders of Hoenn, their input was crucial in such a crisis.

The two exchanged a glance before responding decisively.

"We need to evacuate the civilians immediately!" Winona said.

Roxanne nodded in agreement. "If Groudon reaches the shelter, the consequences will be unimaginable."

However, her expression turned troubled. "But there's a problem... The number of people in the shelter is too large. Evacuating everyone will take time."

Luo Yuan met Giovanni's gaze briefly. The corner of his mouth curved upward before he offered a solution.

"Don't worry about that. You two focus on organizing the evacuation. Mr. Giovanni and I will intercept Groudon and buy you the time you need."

"Wait, you're going to face Groudon?" Roxanne blurted out, her voice laced with disbelief.

Anyone who had witnessed the destruction wrought by Kyogre or Groudon would know how daunting such a task was.

With Steven and Wallace already failing to contain Groudon, the idea of someone volunteering to confront it directly seemed almost absurd.

And yet, here was Luo Yuan, offering to take on the harder task. He and Giovanni had come all the way from Johto to help, and now they were willing to risk their lives to protect Hoenn's people.

Roxanne hesitated, wanting to dissuade them, but she couldn't deny that this was the best course of action.

Reading her conflicted expression, Luo Yuan spoke decisively.

"It's settled then. Time is of the essence!"

What Roxanne and Winona didn't know was that Luo Yuan's willingness to intercept Groudon wasn't out of pure altruism. It was all part of a plan he and Giovanni had devised beforehand.

As new members of the Elite Four, both needed achievements to solidify their reputations and positions. Facing Groudon provided the perfect opportunity.

Additionally, their plan required them to act away from prying eyes.

With a mix of admiration and urgency, Roxanne and Winona watched the two men depart before throwing themselves into organizing the evacuation.

---

High above, Luo Yuan and Giovanni flew into the skies atop Dragonite and Crobat.

As they ascended, a hatch opened mid-air, revealing the landing platform of a Rocket Team airship.

Stepping off their Pokémon, the two landed to find Matori and Hunter J waiting with their subordinates.

"Giovanni!" Matori greeted, her tone sharp and professional.

"How are things progressing?" Giovanni asked, his attention shifting to Hunter J.

The raid on Team Magma's base had been a key part of their strategy to strengthen Team Rocket's foothold in Hoenn.

"It's a success," Hunter J reported. "We've captured all the Magma grunts inside the base and completely severed their communications. Maxie likely has no idea what's happened."

She smirked and gestured toward the captive Magma Admin Courtney, bound and gagged nearby. "And we have her too."

Courtney glared furiously, her eyes burning with humiliation as she struggled against her bindings.

Despite her anger, her heart sank. As one of Team Magma's three Admins, she wasn't foolish. From what Hunter J had said, the man standing before her—Giovanni—was the mysterious leader of Team Rocket.

And now that she had seen him, the likelihood of her being allowed to leave alive seemed slim.

Giovanni didn't spare her a second glance. Instead, he turned to Luo Yuan.

His meaning was clear: This is your territory. Handle it.

As the man in charge of Team Rocket's operations in Hoenn, Luo Yuan was expected to take responsibility for decisions here.

Luo Yuan nodded, stepping forward.

"Keep her detained. Once this situation is over, I'll deal with her personally."

Having absorbed the remnants of Team Flare through Malva, Luo Yuan was no stranger to integrating other criminal organizations.

Hunter J gave a short nod and led Courtney away.

Once she was gone, Luo Yuan turned to Matori.

"Now it's your turn. I'll be appearing as the 'Tech Hunter,' so I'll need you to pose as me to maintain my cover."

This was the real reason Luo Yuan had chosen to split from Roxanne and Winona.

Matori arched a brow but nodded.

She was one of the few people who understood Luo Yuan's mannerisms well enough to impersonate him convincingly. Moreover, with her current assignments mostly complete, she had the time to spare.

Luo Yuan led her to the preparation room, where he released his Ditto.

"What's this?" Matori asked, intrigued.

"Ditto's transformation ability," Luo Yuan explained.

The gelatinous Pokémon wrapped around Matori, its malleable body molding itself into Luo Yuan's likeness. In moments, she was a perfect replica of him.

Luo Yuan handed her a voice modulator and adjusted its settings. When Matori spoke again, her voice matched his precisely.

Looking at the mirror, Luo Yuan was satisfied.

With his Pokémon—Dragonite, Mimikyu, Charizard, and Gyarados—entrusted to Matori, no one would be able to tell the difference.

"You're good to go," he said.

Matori smirked, tossing a Poké Ball in imitation of his usual demeanor. "So, I'm really supposed to stop Groudon?"

"Not really," Luo Yuan replied. "Just stall for time and let Wallace and Steven take the brunt of it."

He reassured her further. "If anything goes wrong, Mimikyu will protect you, and Dragonite will fly you to safety. Groudon doesn't stand a chance of catching you."

With Matori ready, Luo Yuan donned his own disguise as the Tech Hunter.

Black armor, helmet, and mask concealed his identity. Flanked by Dragapult and the shadowy presence of Gengar, he radiated an intimidating aura.

On his belt were Master Balls containing Rayquaza, Deoxys, and Mewtwo.

"Stay in contact, Matori. Update me on Groudon's movements and Steven's actions."

With that, Luo Yuan left the preparation room.

"Time to make my move," he said, stepping onto Dragapult's back and vanishing into the sky.

As he disappeared, Giovanni stood.

"Let's move."

He and "Luo Yuan" followed, leaving the Rocket airship to rejoin the unfolding chaos.