Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

The impact from Dragon Rush sent Beedrill tumbling backward, finally steadying itself midair after a brief struggle.

But that was the end of the line for Dragapult.

The attack had drained the last of Dragapult's energy.

With its strength completely exhausted, Dragapult collapsed to the ground.

Matori, having watched the entire exchange, took a moment to process what she'd seen before raising her flag. "Dragapult is unable to battle! The winner is Beedrill!"

Seeing Giovanni's Beedrill emerge victorious didn't surprise her.

She had witnessed Giovanni's prowess before and knew just how strong that Beedrill was.

But for Luo Yuan's Dragapult to hold its own to such an extent was astonishing.

"Other than Giovanni himself, I doubt anyone in Team Rocket can match Luo Yuan now," she thought. Being one of the few who knew Team Rocket inside and out, Matori felt confident in her assessment.

"You did well."

Luo Yuan recalled Dragapult, watching the cursed Beedrill in the sky as its health continued to drain. He pondered his next move.

He had two options.

The first was to use Ditto. His Ditto was highly trained and possessed the Imposter ability, allowing it to transform into Beedrill.

Ditto's transformation would inherit all of Beedrill's stats except HP, and it wouldn't copy Beedrill's curse status.

In other words, it would "inherit all its strengths while discarding all its weaknesses."

But there was a catch: Giovanni's Beedrill had a Mega Stone, and as of now, it hadn't Mega Evolved.

If Ditto transformed, it would only mimic Beedrill's base form.

Once Giovanni initiated Mega Evolution, Ditto would be outmatched.

Therefore… Luo Yuan ultimately chose his other option: Gengar, which could Mega Evolve as well!

Turning to his shadow, Luo Yuan gave a quick signal.

Swish

Gengar crawled out from the darkness at his side.

Having witnessed Dragapult's defeat, Gengar's gaze held a glint of caution as it eyed Beedrill.

This would be a tough opponent!

"Gengar, this one's on you," Luo Yuan said, giving it a nod.

"Gengar-gar!"

Despite its wariness, Gengar grinned, flashing its signature mischievous smile, signaling its confidence.

"Gengar, huh?"

Seeing Luo Yuan's choice didn't surprise Giovanni.

After all, from what he knew, Luo Yuan's main Pokémon, besides Dragapult, was indeed Gengar.

However, even though he had anticipated Gengar, it was hardly an advantage for Giovanni. In fact, compared to Dragon/Ghost-type Dragapult, the Ghost/Poison Gengar was an even bigger threat to Beedrill.

Based on type matchups alone, Beedrill's Bug- and Poison-type moves would only deal a quarter of their usual damage to Gengar.

Plus, Beedrill was still under the curse effect.

With this in mind, Giovanni knew he had to act fast.

"Beedrill, use Drill Run!"

Given the limited effect of Bug- and Poison-type moves, the Ground-type Drill Run was the most effective choice!

Beedrill zigzagged through the air, quickly closing in on Gengar with its twin needles pointed straight at its round belly.

But Gengar had been on guard since the start. With a push of its legs, it activated its Levitate ability, gliding backward and drawing its belly inward with a deep inhale.

Whoosh!

The spinning Drill Run narrowly missed Gengar's abdomen.

Beedrill didn't falter, though.

It continued to pursue Gengar, its stingers jabbing with lightning speed, forcing Gengar into a hasty retreat.

Annoyed by Beedrill's relentless pursuit, Gengar grew increasingly frustrated.

Just as it was about to lose patience, Luo Yuan's command came through.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball!"

A barrage of Shadow Balls shot from Gengar, forming a line in the air aimed directly at the approaching Beedrill.

Beedrill dodged left and right, avoiding each one, unaware that it was falling into Gengar's trap.

Its wings beating rapidly, Beedrill accelerated toward Gengar.

It hadn't noticed the strange shadow growing beneath it.

Giovanni, however, caught on and immediately warned Beedrill of the threat below, but it was already too late.

Luo Yuan's command reached Gengar just in time: "Gengar, Shadow Claw!"

Swish—!

A dark, spectral claw, formed entirely from shadow energy, extended upward from below, aiming for the airborne Beedrill.

For Beedrill to continue its assault on Gengar, it would have to risk being struck by Shadow Claw.

Faced with a choice, Beedrill opted for self-preservation.

It swung both stingers downward, shattering the Shadow Claw like fragile glass.

In return, Gengar lobbed two more Shadow Balls at Beedrill.

One missed, but the other struck Beedrill's tail, dealing minor damage.

Although it wasn't a significant hit, it did disrupt Beedrill's movement slightly.

Gengar seized the opportunity to float higher, extending two fingers and unleashing a rainbow-colored beam.

"Confuse Ray!"

Gengar aimed to disorient Beedrill with the same move it had used before.

But Beedrill, clearly well-trained, ignored the flashing lights entirely.

Taking advantage of this moment, Giovanni raised his hand:

"Beedrill, Mega Evolve!"

Giovanni pressed the central R on his chest, activating his Key Stone.

Beedrill glowed brightly, resonating with the Key Stone embedded in Giovanni's chest.

Beedrill's form began to change.

Its original two sets of wings became three.

All four limbs grew additional stingers, with the ones on its arms transforming into lance-like shapes.

Its body became sharper, more intimidating.

Seeing Giovanni activate Mega Evolution, Luo Yuan wasted no time.

"If that's the case, we'll go all out too, Gengar!"

The Key Stone on his wrist glowed, resonating with Gengar's Mega Stone.

In a swirl of multicolored light, Gengar transformed into the pure white Mega Gengar!

The two Mega-Evolved Pokémon, Mega Beedrill and Mega Gengar, now faced each other, both radiating intense energy.

"Mega Beedrill's Adaptability ability doubles the power of its Bug- and Poison-type moves—yet against Gengar, it's practically useless compared to my Gengar's Shadow Tag. In terms of Mega Evolution alone, Gengar holds the advantage."

Luo Yuan reached this conclusion and glanced over at Giovanni.

But he noticed that Giovanni's expression hadn't changed in the slightest. Mega Beedrill hovered in front of Giovanni, its red eyes revealing no hint of emotion.

---

Greetings, esteemed reader.

Your presence throughout this chapter's journey is deeply appreciated. In Liyue, we hold that every tale, much like the enduring stone, gains strength through the appreciation of those who encounter it.

Should you wish to support WiseTL's dedicated endeavors in bringing these narratives to you, you may consider visiting:

[patreon.com/WiseTL].

Even the most modest contribution serves as a cornerstone, fortifying the foundation upon which future stories are built.

With sincere regards,

Zhongli