Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [487]

Team Rocket’s Secret Base in the Galar Region

It had been a day since Luo Yuan left the Hammerlocke Stadium.

After confirming that no one had followed him or Sabrina, Luo Yuan brought her to a secret base that Team Rocket had established in the Galar region.

At the moment, the base was staffed by two main groups: the original intelligence division stationed in Galar, and an elite Mega squad that Luo Yuan had personally transferred from Sinnoh.

Luo Yuan was now in the training grounds.

After inspecting the last Pokémon that had undergone [Mega Evolution], he gave a satisfied nod to the squad captain in charge. “Very good.”

Before arriving, he had worried that the Galar particles might interfere with [Mega Evolution], making it incompatible with this region’s unique environment. But it turned out he had been overthinking it.

[Mega Evolution] could still be used in Galar without issue.

“Lord Luo Yuan, what’s our next mission?” one of his subordinates asked.

This Mega squad had been handpicked from the most loyal members of Team Rocket—trainers completely committed to the cause. They were eager to receive their orders from Luo Yuan.

“As the core strike force of this Galar campaign, your role is critical. But it’s not time for you to act yet.”

Luo Yuan had never expected to take Galar without bloodshed. Still, the operation hadn’t officially begun. If this force revealed itself too early, it would only arouse suspicion and jeopardize the entire plan.

After instructing his men to continue training and remain hidden within the base, Luo Yuan entered his office.

A holographic projection glowed at the center of the room, displaying the images of Matori, Lusamine, and Chairman Silph.

Upon seeing Luo Yuan step in, Lusamine spoke first. “Luo Yuan, the funds you requested have all been transferred. They’ve been spread across multiple accounts and assigned to reliable hands. If you need to access them, it can be done within ten minutes.”

“You have my thanks,” Luo Yuan said.

Moving that large a sum from Alola to Galar without attracting attention had been no small feat.

Fortunately, between the Aether Foundation’s and Team Rocket’s extensive financial networks, they’d managed to avoid detection from both the Galar League and Macro Cosmos.

Then Luo Yuan turned to Chairman Silph. “Chairman, according to the intel from our embedded personnel in Macro Cosmos, the company has agreed in principle to open the communications market in exchange for a partnership with Silph Co. in Kanto. The exact terms will be negotiated after the exhibition match, but for now, you may begin preliminary preparations. The key is to tie down Macro Cosmos—anchor them in Kanto.”

“Rest assured,” Silph replied. He might not have much to offer in Pokémon battles, but in the world of business, the man who built Silph Co. from nothing into the powerhouse it was today didn’t see himself as inferior to anyone.

Luo Yuan had confidence in Silph’s end of the operation. Besides, Giovanni himself would be coordinating on the sidelines to ensure Silph Co. wasn’t left to fend for itself.

And finally—

“Matori, I’ll be counting on you for intelligence support. Also, since Sabrina and I may not be in a position to directly issue commands, we’ll likely need you to take over remote command. Is that all right?”

Matori simply nodded.

With everything now in place, Luo Yuan gave a pleased nod. “Then the hunt for Macro Cosmos, and the campaign to advance into Galar—officially begins!”

—

Today in Wyndon, the streets were packed with people.

Although the Galar League Championship was still a ways off, Wyndon had already become flooded with spectators.

All thanks to a visitor from Johto—Johto’s very own Elite Four member, Luo Yuan.

Today, as an ambassador of regional exchange, Luo Yuan was scheduled to challenge Galar’s reigning Champion Leon in a special exhibition match held at Wyndon Stadium—the largest arena in the region.

To many in Galar, Luo Yuan’s challenge seemed laughably overconfident. After all, Leon had never lost a single official match since his debut.

Surely this would be no different. Luo Yuan, merely a member of the Elite Four, would soon become just another tick mark on Leon’s undefeated record.

Still, others weren’t so sure. After all, Luo Yuan once defeated Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn.

These opposing voices clashed across Galar, with media outlets quick to catch the scent of drama. Reporters scrambled to get interviews with Luo Yuan and Leon in hopes of stirring up headlines—but both challengers declined to comment.

—

Rose Tower

At the top floor, in the president’s office, Rose sat on a sofa in a gray suit and red tie, listening as Oleana briefed him on the situation.

Upon hearing how much attention the match had drawn, Rose smiled slightly. “This is good news. We’re in the lull before the League season kicks off—Luo Yuan’s challenge has brought a welcome influx of tourists to Wyndon. It’s a major boost for the city’s economy.”

Clearly, Rose saw things differently than most Galar League officials.

Where others saw provocation, he saw opportunity. A surge of tourism, increased visibility for Galar’s championship system—this was exactly what Rose, who had been striving to promote the Galar League model, wanted. There was no reason to turn it down.

“But what if—Leon loses?” Oleana said with concern.

Leon’s undefeated legend was a key promotional asset for the Galar League. If he lost to Luo Yuan, it could seriously damage the brand’s image.

But Rose’s expression didn’t change.

As the one who had personally discovered and nurtured Leon, he had full confidence in his Champion’s strength. Even if Luo Yuan had once bested Steven, Rose did not believe Leon would lose.

“Even if we assume the worst and Leon does lose, all we’d be sacrificing is one promotional angle. In exchange, we’d gain something far more valuable—if Luo Yuan wins, it would help us establish a more favorable relationship with Kanto when we expand there in the future.”

Oleana nodded. If President Rose saw no issue, then she had no reason to object.

But Rose didn’t dwell on the match for long—his mind had already moved on to something else.

“How’s the investigation into the energy disturbance in Hammerlocke going?”

Three days ago, reports came in of abnormal energy readings from the city…

—

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!