Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 391: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! []

Metagross lunged at Dragonite, its head glowing with psychic energy.

Luo Yuan's eyes glowed blue as he quickly calculated Metagross's trajectory. By analyzing the density of psychic energy around its body, he pinpointed its weakest spot.

Relaying this information to Dragonite, Luo Yuan didn't even need to issue specific commands. Dragonite instinctively knew what to do.

"Brick Break!"

Dragonite brought its powerful arm down in a sharp arc, slamming into Metagross's iron-like limb.

Bam!

The impact sent a dull reverberation through the battlefield, forcing Metagross's floating body to dip sharply.

Thrown off balance, Metagross crashed into the ground at Dragonite's feet, embedding half of its body into the dirt like a crashed UFO.

But Metagross wasn't done yet.

The psychic energy concentrated in its body during Zen Headbutt had mitigated much of the damage from the impact and Dragonite's Brick Break.

With its machine-like mind and computational prowess, Metagross quickly recovered from the disorientation, regaining control of its body.

Now face-to-face with Dragonite, Metagross unleashed its strength.

Its claw joints twisted unnaturally, rotating in ways no organic creature could replicate. With a quick reversal of its limbs, Metagross slashed at Dragonite.

"Metal Claw!"

The metallic sheen of its claws caught the light as they raked across Dragonite's forearm, leaving three deep gashes.

"Grrrr!"

Dragonite let out a pained growl, clutching its injured arm.

Taking advantage of the moment, Metagross wrenched itself free from Dragonite's grasp.

But there was no way Dragonite would let its opponent escape unscathed.

Anger flared in its eyes as it rubbed its round, stubby hands together.

Zzzap!

Sparks crackled between Dragonite's antennae, arcs of golden electricity radiating outward.

"Thunder Wave!"

The paralyzing current wrapped around Metagross, freezing its movements momentarily and significantly reducing its agility.

Steven's heart sank.

Meanwhile, Luo Yuan smirked as Dragonite seized the opening.

Flapping its massive wings, Dragonite ascended into the sky before diving back down, cloaked in draconic energy.

"Dragon Rush!"

The sheer size of Dragonite's body made the move look even more devastating than when used by the slimmer Garchomp.

"Metagross, Protect!"

Unable to evade due to paralysis, Steven had no choice but to order Metagross to defend.

In response, Metagross planted its limbs firmly into the ground, generating a shimmering, dome-shaped barrier around itself.

Boom!

Dragonite's full force slammed into the protective shield, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

The immense pressure cracked the arena floor, spiderweb fissures radiating outward from Metagross.

Even the spectators felt the residual tremors. Lance had to send out one of his Pokémon to shield the onlookers, while pushing the safety boundary another ten meters back.

---

The clash was broadcast live to countless trainers worldwide.

For a moment, the heated debates about whether Luo Yuan was simply too strong or if Steven was unworthy of his title ceased.

Everyone reached a consensus:

Steven wasn't weak—he was a Champion for a reason. Luo Yuan, however, was just that strong.

"Was this guy really just a rookie trainer a year ago?" Some trainers, unfamiliar with Luo Yuan's meteoric rise, scoured the internet for his records, their disbelief evident.

Those who had witnessed Luo Yuan dominate the Indigo League were far less surprised.

Crushing a Champion?

If it's Luo Yuan, that's business as usual.

---

The battle continued.

Dragonite's Dragon Rush had driven Metagross further into the ground like a mole, but the shield held firm.

Emerging unscathed, Metagross adjusted its strategy.

With its speed halved by paralysis, Metagross abandoned any attempts at evasion and instead used Iron Defense.

Silver light enveloped its body, sharply raising its physical defense.

Steven's plan was clear—he intended to weather Dragonite's attacks and outlast it.

Sometimes, slow and steady wasn't a disadvantage.

"Metagross, Gyro Ball!"

At Steven's command, Metagross began spinning rapidly, its metallic body emitting a low hum.

As a move that gained power the slower its user was compared to its opponent, Gyro Ball was perfect for Metagross in its current state.

The spinning metal behemoth hurtled toward Dragonite with terrifying momentum.

Dragonite considered blocking it with its arm but quickly thought better of it.

If blocking wasn't an option...

A lightbulb seemed to go off in Dragonite's head.

"Roar!"

With a thunderous cry, Dragonite flapped its wings powerfully, generating fierce winds.

"Hurricane!"

The swirling tempest engulfed the battlefield, throwing debris into the air and slamming into Metagross.

Already hindered by its slow speed, Metagross struggled against the winds. Its path became erratic, veering left and right like a drunken top.

Worse still, Metagross showed signs of confusion, its movements faltering further.

In another timeline—one without Luo Yuan—Steven might have pulled out a Key Stone and shouted for Metagross to Mega Evolve.

But, thanks to Luo Yuan's earlier raid on the Hoenn League's shipment of Mega Stones, Steven had no such option.

With trade negotiations for new Mega Stones still unresolved, even the Champion of Hoenn was without one.

---

...

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