Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [416]

Luo Yuan capturing Deoxys—what did this mean?

It meant that they finally had the power to stand against Team Rocket.

Even if Team Rocket deployed their own Legendary Pokémon, they wouldn’t be entirely powerless to resist.

This realization filled Officer Jenny and the others with excitement. They could hardly wait to share this news with their colleagues!

Luo Yuan watched their reactions with a slight smile.

I wonder what their expressions would be if they ever found out who I really am.

In the end, it was Officer Jenny, the team leader, who composed herself first.

“If that’s the case… then if the disturbances in Mt. Silver aren’t part of a Team Rocket conspiracy, could it really have just been caused by Deoxys’ arrival?”

She had experience working in Pokémon nature reserves, where intrusions often disrupted local ecosystems.

In professional terms, it was called an invasive species problem.

And in this scenario, Deoxys was clearly the invader.

Luo Yuan nodded. “On this matter, Tyranitar probably has the most to say.”

He gestured toward Tyranitar, who was busy tidying up the cave.

It was only then that Officer Jenny remembered the massive Pokémon’s presence.

To be fair, Deoxys had been so eye-catching that it had made everything else seem insignificant.

Noticing Luo Yuan pointing at it, Tyranitar let out a couple of roars.

Luo Yuan had only brought up Tyranitar to add credibility to his words.

“I encountered Tyranitar on my way here. This cave was originally its home, but Deoxys drove it out,” Luo Yuan explained, recounting what had happened to Tyranitar.

Now, the reason behind the disturbance in Mt. Silver was laid out clearly before Officer Jenny and her team.

And when they learned that Luo Yuan had also captured Tyranitar, the investigators in the back breathed a sigh of relief.

“If that’s the case, then the chaos in Mt. Silver should be settled, right?”

After experiencing so much in a single day, even these battle-hardened investigators couldn’t help but feel exhausted.

Especially after being put to sleep by [Hypnosis].

Although Luo Yuan’s [Viridian Power] had helped rejuvenate them physically, mental fatigue wasn’t so easy to shake off.

“I’m afraid it won’t be that simple,” Luo Yuan said. “Deoxys’ influence has already spread. It’ll take some time for the wild Pokémon of Mt. Silver to sort out their new territories before things return to normal.”

But that was no longer his problem.

Seeing the weary expressions on the investigators’ faces, Luo Yuan gave them an encouraging smile.

“So, I’ll leave Mt. Silver in your hands.”

Though still fatigued, the investigators straightened their postures at Luo Yuan’s words and responded loudly, “Understood!”

Not just out of duty as League Trainers—

But also because they refused to let Luo Yuan’s rescue go to waste.

Leaving Officer Jenny and her team to handle the aftermath, Luo Yuan departed from Mt. Silver.

From the moment he had received Lance’s request for help to the complete resolution of the situation, only half a day had passed.

When Luo Yuan called Lance to report the situation, Lance was not only shocked that he had managed to capture Deoxys but also impressed by how quickly he had handled everything.

“You catching Deoxys is a huge relief,” Lance admitted over the phone.

The Johto League Trainers, especially Officer Jenny’s team, had been feeling immense pressure due to Team Rocket’s growing strength.

Lance, having personally clashed with both the Tech Hunter and Team Rocket multiple times, had felt that pressure even more acutely.

So when he heard that Luo Yuan had captured Deoxys, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

However, unlike Officer Jenny, he wasn’t overly optimistic.

After all, beyond Deoxys, Team Rocket still had Mewtwo.

And Rayquaza.

Luo Yuan’s capture of Deoxys had merely evened the playing field slightly.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been struggling to assign to the right person,” Lance said. “Now that you’ve captured Deoxys, I think you’re the perfect candidate.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve heard about the Kanto League’s upcoming Champion selection, right?” Lance asked.

“I’ve heard a bit,” Luo Yuan replied. It wasn’t exactly a secret.

Considering he had openly fought alongside Giovanni in Hoenn to subdue Groudon and Kyogre, it would be strange if he wasn’t aware.

“That makes things easier. This selection is critical because Team Rocket has been increasingly active in Kanto lately. To prevent any interference, Kanto has requested Johto’s assistance.”

Lance continued, “I was debating who to send. This mission could put someone directly up against Team Rocket, so it carries a certain level of risk. But now that you have Deoxys, you’re the perfect choice.”

Luo Yuan’s bold statements during the Hoenn crisis had put every Pokémon League on high alert regarding Team Rocket.

And for Kanto, Team Rocket’s home turf, this was especially concerning.

The Kanto League was terrified that Team Rocket might disrupt their Champion selection just as they had done in Hoenn.

They couldn’t afford to be humiliated like the Hoenn League had been.

So they had reached out to Lance for reinforcements.

“Helping out Kanto? No problem. I’m from Kanto myself, after all,” Luo Yuan said.

Though Kanto and Johto were governed as separate Leagues, their histories and connections remained deeply intertwined.

So his reasoning was entirely reasonable.

Of course, the real reason he agreed was much simpler—

For other people, this mission might be dangerous. But for Luo Yuan? Not at all.

Whether Team Rocket caused trouble or not was entirely up to him.

Everyone involved was his own people.

This mission was basically a free vacation at Kanto’s expense.

“Then I’ll leave it to you!” Lance said.

With that, he ended the call. He didn’t have time for idle chat—his schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings.

After his conversation with Lance, Luo Yuan also updated Giovanni on the situation in Mt. Silver.

When Giovanni heard that Luo Yuan had encountered and captured a second Deoxys, his expression was something to behold.

At this point, calling it “good luck” didn’t even do it justice.

Deoxys was one of the rarest Pokémon in existence.

Yet Luo Yuan had not only run into two of them but also successfully captured both.

Still, Giovanni didn’t dwell on it for long.

After all, this Deoxys had been captured under Luo Yuan’s Elite Four persona, meaning it wouldn’t be used under Team Rocket’s banner unless absolutely necessary.

What truly caught Giovanni’s interest was the fact that Lance had sent Luo Yuan to “assist” Kanto.

With both the competitors and the judges being “his people”…

This made the plan he had discussed with Luo Yuan and Koga even more viable.

“The preparations on the Sevii Islands are complete. The Masked Corps have already begun deploying in waves.”

“Team Galactic has also been informed.”

“Everything is set—”

“Now, let the show begin.”

—

T/N: i cant bear to watch

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!