Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 382: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! []

"It seems they're feeling confident now that they know you're their opponent," Giovanni remarked.

The intentions of Devon Corporation were clear—this was an all-or-nothing gamble.

"Tch." Luo Yuan clicked his tongue in irritation.

Devon Corporation had decided to bet everything, ignoring the potential repercussions of dragging their Champion Steven into this mess.

But... it wasn't entirely the wrong move on their part.

After all, the Champion title was a temporary position, while the corporation was the foundation of the Stone family's legacy.

Unfortunately for them, they were up against him.

"They're in for a rude awakening if they think their plans will succeed with me in the picture," Luo Yuan said with a smile.

"As long as you're confident," Giovanni replied.

Initially, Giovanni had some concerns. Without the use of legendary Pokémon, Gengar, or Dragapult, could Luo Yuan still stand up to Steven?

Now, however, it seemed he had worried for nothing.

"By the way, you mentioned you were uneasy about Guzma. I've sent Carr to keep an eye on him," Giovanni added.

"Carr? He's an excellent choice."

Leaving Guzma in charge of Alola had made Luo Yuan uneasy from the start.

But with Carr supervising him, there wouldn't be an issue.

After a previous misstep had sent Carr to the Orange Islands, he'd taken the opportunity to reflect and correct some of his bad habits.

As a senior Team Rocket officer with considerable strength, Carr was the perfect fit to oversee Guzma.

Besides, the Orange Islands didn't require much oversight anyway. Keeping Carr there had been a waste of his talents.

After wrapping up their discussion about Team Rocket's operations in Alola, Luo Yuan could sense Giovanni's mood improving, thanks to the organization's recovering financial situation.

Satisfied, Giovanni ended the call.

---

Hoenn Region

It had only been about a month since Luo Yuan's last visit to Hoenn. He hadn't expected to return so soon.

As the airship descended, the ground beneath opened, revealing a hidden Team Rocket base.

Luo Yuan stepped off the airship with Matori and Sabrina. Waiting to greet them was Hunter J.

Standing beside J was Courtney, who had recently joined Team Rocket.

Dressed in a Team Rocket uniform, Courtney now exuded an allure that surpassed her time with Team Magma.

However, when her eyes met Luo Yuan's, a blush crept onto her face.

Even though a month had passed, she still remembered the humiliating moment when J had tied her up and delivered her to Luo Yuan.

Noticing Courtney's expression, Sabrina shot a glance at Luo Yuan, her meaning unmistakable:

First Lillie and Lusamine, and now this? You certainly have no shortage of admirers. freēnovelkiss.com

Her gaze was laced with amusement.

"???"

Luo Yuan's face was a picture of confusion. What did I do?

That incident had been entirely J's doing, tying Courtney up and presenting her like that. How was it his fault?

He turned to Matori for help. She had been there and knew he was innocent.

Matori, of course, knew Luo Yuan hadn't done anything wrong.

But she couldn't resist. She still remembered the smug look on Luo Yuan's face when she had begged him for mercy on the beach. Now that the tables had turned, she saw no reason to defend him. Instead, she looked on with a mischievous smirk.

Luo Yuan: "..."

One day, I'll get you back for this.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Hunter J stepped in.

"The investigation you ordered is complete. Let's discuss it in the conference room," she said, taking the lead.

Courtney gave a slight bow before following J, leaving Luo Yuan, Sabrina, and Matori to trail behind.

Sabrina's gaze remained teasing, Matori looked gleeful, and Luo Yuan... well, his expression could only be described as aggrieved.

---

Once inside the conference room, J began her report.

"Based on the intelligence I gathered and the investigations we conducted, Devon Corporation's market share in communication devices has plummeted since Silph Co.'s holographic communicators were introduced to Hoenn."

"Last month, their once-popular Pokémon Navigator saw a sales decline of over 50% year-on-year. Consumers are favoring Silph's product, which offers higher tech at the same price point."

"Additionally, Devon Corporation performed poorly during a recent inquiry from the Pokémon Association. They couldn't explain why Submarine Explorer 1 lacked proper security measures, which allowed Team Magma to use it so effectively in such a short time."

"Under mounting pressure, Devon Corporation is desperate to prove its strength. That's why they proposed resolving their dispute with Silph Co. through a Pokémon battle."

Hunter J concluded, looking at Luo Yuan.

Clap, clap, clap.

Luo Yuan applauded. "Impressive. Very detailed."

Hoenn had been busy with post-disaster recovery efforts and addressing the aftermath of Groudon and Kyogre's clash. This had provided Team Rocket with ample opportunities to expand.

Thanks to J, Luo Yuan now had a clearer picture of the situation—details he hadn't gotten from Silph's president.

Devon Corporation was in a precarious position, teetering on the brink of collapse.

But... what did that have to do with him?

It was unfortunate, but with Devon standing as his adversary, Luo Yuan wasn't about to sacrifice his interests to help them.

Even if he wanted to hold back, Devon probably wouldn't appreciate it.

After all, he was just Johto's Elite Four member, while Devon had brought in Hoenn's Champion. A Champion versus an Elite—on paper, it seemed Devon had the upper hand.

Devon's chairman was probably celebrating, thinking he'd found an easy target.

"Compile Steven's Pokémon data for me," Luo Yuan instructed J.

When it came to battling Steven, Luo Yuan wasn't taking any chances. With Mewtwo, Deoxys, and Rayquaza off the table, he needed a solid plan.

With a flick, a holographic projection lit up.

It displayed Steven's entire team history, along with details on his strategies, preferences, and the movesets of each Pokémon.

Looking at the comprehensive data before him, Luo Yuan thought with amusement, Steven himself probably doesn't know his team as well as I do now.

After scanning through the information, Luo Yuan began formulating his plan.

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf