Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [508]

But clearly, when the energy plant was built, Rose had never intended for Eternatus to leave—naturally, there was no exit designed for it.

So, unable to find a way out, Eternatus chose the most direct solution: brute force.

“Rooaar!”

A blazing crimson light surged from the energy core at the center of Eternatus’s skeletal frame.

Terrifying energy pulsed upward along its spine, gathering in its throat—
—before erupting in a devastating [Dragon Pulse]!

Against the sheer force of Eternatus’s attack, the reinforced concrete and steel plating might as well have been made of paper. They were instantly vaporized, torn through with ease.

Without pausing for even a moment, Eternatus flew through the tunnel it had carved and burst out of the energy plant.

All that remained behind was molten debris dripping to the floor where the concrete had been melted.

Watching this, Rose’s subordinates went completely numb.

They’d been in the same room as that?

And they even thought they could control it?

Now that they had time to think about it, cold sweat broke out down their spines.

If that [Dragon Pulse] had been aimed at them instead of the ceiling… they’d all be dead.

While everyone else was still reeling from their brush with death, Luo Yuan remained calm.

He didn’t look the least bit surprised as Eternatus flew out of the facility.

Letting it go was the best course of action.

Had he wanted, Luo Yuan had the strength to stop Eternatus right there and then.

But he had other concerns—mainly the safety of his team.
Letting Eternatus leave and shifting the battlefield outside was the smarter move.

“This side’s yours,” he said.

With that, Luo Yuan vaulted onto Dragapult’s back and soared up through the massive tunnel Eternatus had blasted open.

Because of the creature’s enormous size, the passage it left behind was wide enough to fly through comfortably.

He rose steadily, eventually breaking out into the open air.

But the Galar above was no longer the bright, sunny land he’d seen before.
Now, the entire region lay beneath the shadow of the Darkest Day.

A massive black vortex churned overhead, emanating an oppressive pressure that weighed heavily on the world below.

The streets were mostly deserted.

But not entirely.

Luo Yuan spotted a familiar figure right away—Hop, Leon’s younger brother.

For Hop, everything lately had been going terribly wrong.

First, he lost to Raihan in Motostoke.

Then, he watched in stunned disbelief as his brother, Champion Leon, was completely swept by Luo Yuan in a televised match. Before he even had a chance to ask Leon what had happened, his brother had already left with Raihan for Hammerlocke.

Determined to train and redeem himself, Hop had planned to stay in Motostoke and challenge Raihan again once he returned.

And then—this Eternatus incident hit.

When the massive Pokémon suddenly erupted from underground, Hop had nearly jumped out of his skin.

Just as he was about to run, he spotted Luo Yuan sitting calmly astride Dragapult.

“Hey! Get to safety! Now’s not the time to be out sightseeing!” Hop shouted.

Clearly, he’d mistaken Luo Yuan for an uninformed Trainer.

Sure, Luo Yuan’s outfit looked odd—but fashion trends in Galar had been changing so fast lately, for all Hop knew this guy was just wearing the newest thing.

Luo Yuan glanced at the boy but said nothing.

He had no interest in Leon’s little brother.
Right now, he had far more important things to deal with.

He lifted his eyes to the top of Hammerlocke Stadium.

There, looming atop the tower, was Eternatus—its enormous body bathed in the vortex of the Darkest Day, absorbing Galar’s Dynamax energy.

The good news was that the wild Pokémon affected by Dynamax energy were returning to normal.
The people of Galar no longer needed to fear sudden attacks.

The bad news…
With the fresh energy it was absorbing, Eternatus might be even harder to deal with than before.

But to Luo Yuan, this wasn’t a problem.

“Let’s go.”

He gave Dragapult a firm pat on the head.

And in the next instant, Hop watched in stunned silence as the strange Trainer and his Pokémon shot into the sky, streaking toward the top of the tower.

“…Is he insane?”

Hop stared upward, mouth agape.

He had seen with his own eyes just how terrifying that Pokémon was when it emerged from the earth.

In his mind, only two people in all of Galar could take it on: his brother Leon… and Luo Yuan, the one who had defeated him.

And now someone was actually flying straight at it?

“To knowingly charge into danger to stop that Pokémon… is that what people mean by a hero?”

Deeply shaken, Hop felt like he’d just touched the edge of something profound.

—

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!