Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [465]

Luo Yuan had to admit—Arceus was indeed powerful. Objectively speaking, if it came down to a one-on-one, he probably wasn’t its match.

But then again—why would he ever fight Arceus one-on-one?

Overwhelming the opponent with numbers was his specialty.

“All right,” he said. “I’ve answered all your questions. Now it’s time we talk about the future.”

“The future?” Cynthia repeated.

“You don’t actually think Team Rocket came to Sinnoh just to stop Team Galactic’s conspiracy and save the region, do you?” Luo Yuan looked at her.

Cynthia fell silent.

Of course she knew Team Rocket wasn’t here out of charity. They’d gone after Galactic only to bring Sinnoh under their own control. She hadn’t brought it up because she knew—it didn’t matter what she said. Team Rocket wasn’t going to let go of their ambitions.

Now that Luo Yuan had brought it up himself, she was curious to hear more.

“I know the League sees us as the enemy,” Luo Yuan continued, “but after everything that’s happened, you should at least acknowledge our strength.”

Cynthia didn’t want to admit it emotionally, but logically, she had to.

She was the strongest trainer in the Sinnoh League—and she had still lost. Combine that with the terrifying power displayed during the battle at Mt. Coronet, and it was clear: there was no one in Sinnoh who could take on Team Rocket now.

“So what?” she asked. “Are you trying to make the League submit to Team Rocket?”

She stared at the man in front of her. If that was his goal, then all she could say was—he was dreaming.

“Submit? Of course not,” Luo Yuan said, waving a hand. “I have confidence in my strength, but forcing the League to kneel before us? That’s not something I can achieve in the short term.”

Short term…? Cynthia caught the wording.

But Luo Yuan didn’t elaborate. He simply continued, “What I mean is, our presence in Sinnoh is already a fact. And the League doesn’t have the strength to stop it. Rather than wasting time and energy on meaningless resistance, why not work together?”

“Work together?” Cynthia frowned.

It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned “cooperation.” In a way, she was already cooperating with him.

“That’s right—cooperate.” Luo Yuan leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you’re aware, Team Rocket has moved beyond our old… ‘low-end operations.’ At this point, there’s no fundamental conflict between us and the League.”

Cynthia: …

That was only half true.

Abandoning petty crime might’ve meant fewer issues with the public, but to the League, Team Rocket was still a threat—an ambitious organization constantly looking to replace them. That made the conflict even deeper.

She didn’t believe Luo Yuan didn’t understand this.

And the fact that he still proposed “cooperation” despite knowing all this… Cynthia couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

Still, from a pragmatic standpoint, this cooperation could buy the League some time to regroup.

She realized—she didn’t really have a reason to refuse.

After Cynthia left, Luo Yuan removed his mask and let out a breath.

“Even with better airflow, wearing this thing too long is still torture.”

He pulled out a communicator from his belt and dialed Giovanni’s number. When the image of the Rocket Boss appeared on screen, Luo Yuan greeted him politely.

“Good afternoon, Boss. Do you have a moment?”

He avoided saying “Giovanni” outright, just in case someone else was nearby.

Giovanni nodded. “Of course. How are things going in Sinnoh?”

He’d already seen the news—there’d been reports of a battle between Legendary Pokémon at Mt. Coronet. But he trusted Luo Yuan’s strength enough not to contact him prematurely. Now that Luo Yuan was calling, it must mean everything was under control.

“It’s all taken care of,” Luo Yuan replied. “There were a few… minor surprises. But overall, everything went according to plan.”

To Luo Yuan, Giratina was just a ‘minor surprise.’ If Giratina ever heard that… well, it would probably just swallow the insult and fume silently.

“Cyrus and the rest of Galactic’s core members are now under our control. And…” Luo Yuan pulled out the two Poké Balls containing Dialga and Palkia.

“I’ve captured Dialga and Palkia.”

“…Excellent!” Giovanni’s eyes lit up.

He had suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed—it was enough to lift even his stoic demeanor.

With Sinnoh under their belt, Team Rocket now held Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Kalos, Alola… six regions in total.

Within the known reach of the Pokémon League, only Unova and Galar remained outside their control.

Just a little more—and Team Rocket would have the whole world within its grasp.

They were one step closer to their ultimate goal.

Still, Giovanni didn’t let the excitement get to his head. After the brief moment of satisfaction, he returned to business.

“What about regional leadership for Sinnoh? Do you have anyone in mind?”

Talent—that was Rocket’s most pressing issue.

The team’s rapid expansion had stretched their personnel thin. Even their relatively new hold on Alola had been entrusted to Lusamine, a recent recruit.

Sinnoh would be even harder to manage than Alola.

Leadership was a serious problem.

Giovanni looked at Luo Yuan. “How about you take charge of Sinnoh, at least for now?”

He was hoping to give Luo Yuan more responsibility. With his ability, managing another region wouldn’t be an issue.

But Luo Yuan shook his head immediately.

Sure, Sinnoh had nice views. Cynthia was… appealing. But was Luo Yuan that kind of guy?

His heart already belonged to Sabrina, Misty, and Matori.

…Maybe half to Lusamine, too.

But stay in Sinnoh long-term? No way. He’d come check in occasionally, but that was it.

Still, someone had to manage the region.

Luo Yuan thought about it for a while, then looked up.

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Giovanni, I do have someone in mind.”

“Oh?” Giovanni raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

—

T/N: Cynthia… noooooooo

This is a fan translation of 我，火箭队二把手！ by 落唯 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!