Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

The appearance of Deoxys made Hunter J visibly tense.

Her rigid stance and the look on her face revealed her nervousness.

It was clear that her previous defeat by Deoxys—so easily overpowered—had left her with a lasting fear of it.

"Let me introduce you," Luo Yuan said with a smile. "This is Deoxys. It has remote-tracking abilities, so once it remembers someone's characteristics, it can locate them across thousands of miles."

As he spoke, he reached out and plucked a strand of hair from Hunter J's head, then handed it to Deoxys.

Deoxys coiled a tendril around the hair, silently recording her features.

Hunter J watched this, her heart sinking.

She didn't think Luo Yuan would bother lying to a prisoner, so if what he said was true… being tracked by a legendary Pokémon meant she'd never be free of Luo Yuan's surveillance.

Luo Yuan could locate her at any time, anywhere. If she were to betray him, she'd have to constantly look over her shoulder for his inevitable retaliation.

It was a price she wasn't willing to pay.

This meant she was now, without question, bound to Rocket Team for the foreseeable future.

Her initial plan to pretend loyalty and wait for an opportunity to escape was now out of the question.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm the sinking feeling in her chest.

Luo Yuan watched her expression shift, smiling faintly. "It seems you're not fully familiar with the benefits of joining Rocket Team. There's no need to look so glum—you stand to gain a lot by working with us."

"Is that so?" Hunter J scoffed.

Unbothered by her resistance, Luo Yuan remained calm. "Sit down. Let me walk you through Rocket Team's perks."

After a rundown on Rocket Team's philosophy, benefits, and the advantages of being part of his crew, Hunter J—while still bitter—had gradually come to terms with her new reality.

She hadn't been left with much choice, after all.

Though it was uncomfortable transitioning from a famous Pokémon hunter, known worldwide with hundreds of underlings, to an executive under Luo Yuan, the idea had its upsides.

As a Pokémon hunter, she'd had to cover all her team's expenses herself. Every day, there were mouths to feed and supplies to gather. She'd become a workaholic, taking on job after job just to keep her organization running, with barely anything left for herself.

But as a member of Rocket Team, all of that changed.

According to Luo Yuan, with the organization backing her, she no longer needed to worry about payroll, supplies, or expenses; she could even get reimbursed for purchases. All she had to do was focus on the missions Luo Yuan assigned.

With that, her workload and stress levels dropped significantly.

It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't all bad either.

Seeing the look on her face, Luo Yuan could tell his persuasion was working.

He then ordered Hunter J to regroup her former subordinates.

Meanwhile, he spent the next week enjoying the hot spring resort on Cinnabar Island with Sabrina.

---

About a week later, Luo Yuan got a call from Matori.

Lying on a tatami mat, he playfully dangled a Pokéblock in front of his Eevee, which was bouncing and yipping in excitement.

"What's up, Matori?" he asked, looking toward the screen.

Behind him, Sabrina cradled a Pokémon egg, using her psychic power to connect with the yet-to-hatch Ralts inside.

This egg was a gift Luo Yuan had found among Hunter J's "collection" and had gifted to Sabrina.

On the screen, Matori glanced at Sabrina behind him, then cleared her throat. "Giovanni has approved the mission request you submitted."

"We'll deploy a thirty-person squad to attack Silph Co. in three days."

"Oh? He approved it? I thought it would take longer," Luo Yuan said, surprised.

The idea to attack Silph Co. had been his own. Silph's president had been so jumpy lately that it was cutting into Luo Yuan's time with Sabrina. His plan was to arrange a small-scale assault on the company to ease the president's nerves.

But since this operation conflicted slightly with Giovanni's current "low-profile" approach, Luo Yuan had asked Matori to submit a formal mission request to Giovanni.

He hadn't expected Giovanni to approve it so quickly.

"There's been a major development in the Mewtwo Project," Matori explained from the screen.

"You mean…?"

"That's right. The Mewtwo Project is a success, and Mewtwo is set to awaken soon. We no longer need to maintain the low profile we had before," Matori said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

As Rocket Team's chief secretary, nothing thrilled her more than watching the organization grow stronger.

With the successful completion of the Mewtwo Project, Rocket Team would possess two legendary Pokémon under its control—Mewtwo and Luo Yuan's Deoxys.

Compared to other criminal organizations that hadn't even managed to catch sight of a legendary Pokémon, Rocket Team was miles ahead.

"So the Mewtwo Project is finally reaching completion…"

No wonder Giovanni had insisted he capture Blaine—Blaine's documents must have been vital to the project.

Luo Yuan looked at Matori thoughtfully.

Although he wasn't convinced Giovanni could control Mewtwo in the long run, he knew better than to dampen Matori's enthusiasm.

Besides, getting approval for this mission was a good outcome.

"Are you sure you want to go through with the operation? We could still cancel," Matori asked.

She was a bit puzzled, after all. She knew that Luo Yuan held shares in Silph Co. and didn't quite understand why he would suggest attacking it.

"Silph's president is paranoid. If no one makes an attempt on the company, he won't be able to rest easy."

"Plus, this attack will let us show the world that Rocket Team isn't weak," Luo Yuan explained.

Matori nodded in agreement. Rocket Team had indeed been playing it too safe lately; it was time to show their strength again.

"As you requested, the team for this operation will be entirely composed of first-year Rocket Team recruits from the Johto branch. They don't know who you or Sabrina are, so they won't be holding back—just keep that in mind."

She then went over the specifics of the operation with Luo Yuan in detail.

"Understood. I'll be prepared when the time comes."

---

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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-With love, Nahida 🌱