Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!
Chapter 423: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [423]

Chapter 423 - Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [423]

A blue glow flashed in Slowbro's eyes—a telltale sign of its [Psychic] attack.

Shellos, which had just been sent out to support Skuntank, was forced to defend against the oncoming assault instead.

Seeing this, Jupiter immediately realized that her strategy wasn't going to work.

After all, Lorelei was a member of Kanto's Elite Four—there was no way she would have fewer Pokémon than Jupiter. Relying on numbers to gain an advantage was unrealistic.

With that option gone, Jupiter had no choice but to focus on tactics.

But in a head-on battle of raw strength, how could she possibly match Lorelei?

Jupiter quickly fell into a disadvantage.

Mars's situation was even worse.

Bronzong was being completely suppressed by Giovanni's Rhydon.

She sent out her other main Pokémon—Purugly—but rather than assisting Bronzong, she had a different plan.

Purugly suddenly sprang forward with surprising agility, its powerful legs propelling it toward Giovanni.

It leaped high into the air, aiming to take Giovanni down with a [Body Slam]!

But Giovanni's expression remained calm as ever.

A faint smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

From within his sleeve, he flicked a Poké Ball into his hand and pressed the button.

BANG!

A burst of white light flashed.

A Beedrill, its yellow body adorned with sharp black stripes, materialized in midair.

Its glistening twin stingers shot forward, intercepting Purugly mid-pounce.

Purugly's eyes widened in shock.

It hadn't expected another Pokémon to suddenly appear in its path. Instinctively, it tried to dodge—

But Giovanni's Beedrill was far too fast.

SWISH!

The stingers pierced into Purugly's thick fur, sending it flying more than ten meters before it crashed heavily against a nearby wall.

Yet, despite executing such a swift and brutal counterattack, Beedrill didn't pursue.

It simply hovered beside Giovanni, standing guard like a loyal soldier.

Mars and Jupiter were both completely suppressed by Giovanni and Lorelei.

And Team Galactic's trainers weren't faring any better.

By now, the battlefield had descended into utter chaos.

At this stage, neither Galactic nor League trainers were holding back anymore.

They weren't just targeting Pokémon—attacks were now flying toward the trainers themselves.

Whenever someone saw a cluster of opponents grouped together, they would simply unleash a barrage of moves in that direction.

Of course, as elites, they were far from fragile.

They might not be on the level of some freakishly durable "Super Trainers," but taking a [Thunderbolt] or two wouldn't be enough to kill them.

In the midst of all this, Luo Yuan, as a responsible member of the Elite Four, wasn't just standing idly by.

While staying in contact with Matori via his communicator, he also took on the role of battlefield medic.

Whenever a League trainer was knocked down, Luo Yuan would use [Psychic] to pull them back and heal their injuries with [Viridian Power].

After receiving their treatment and expressing their gratitude, the now fully recovered trainers would be sent right back into the fight.

Over and over, this cycle repeated.

Before long, Team Galactic's trainers realized something terrifying—

No matter how hard they fought, the League's strength wasn't diminishing at all.

And the gap in power between them only grew wider.

Seeing that Galactic was on the verge of collapse, Luo Yuan sent a signal to Matori.

A low mechanical hum filled the air.

Everyone in the Rocket base—Galactic and League trainers alike—suddenly noticed something strange.

The ceiling of the abandoned base was shifting.

Metal panels slid apart, revealing the sky. Sunlight streamed down through the newly opened gaps, illuminating the battlefield.

"What's going on?"

"What the hell is happening!?"

Both sides froze in confusion.

This base had clearly been abandoned.

Why was it suddenly... moving?

Was someone still operating the facility from behind the scenes?

As these thoughts raced through their minds—

A massive shadow passed overhead.

The sound of spinning rotors echoed through the air.

A colossal black airship, powered by massive propellers, hovered above them.

A single crimson R gleamed on its hull.

"Team Rocket!"

In an instant, every trainer—League and Galactic alike—halted their attacks.

One side had infiltrated Rocket's territory to track down Sird.

The other side was trying to prevent Galactic from meeting with Rocket, fearing the chaos it would bring to Kanto.

Yet now, both factions had been caught red-handed—brawling inside a Rocket base—by Team Rocket itself.

A heavy silence settled over them.

Lorelei's gaze sharpened as she stared up at the airship.

The worst-case scenario had arrived.

Meanwhile, Mars and Jupiter reacted almost instantly.

This was their chance.

If they played this right, they could use Rocket's sudden arrival to escape.

After all, Team Rocket, like them, was an illegal organization.

If they maneuvered correctly, Rocket could become a convenient distraction—drawing the League's fire while they slipped away.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been a solid plan.

But they had overlooked one crucial detail.

Giovanni and Luo Yuan might have been acting as League officials—

But behind the scenes, they were the true leaders of Team Rocket.

Luo Yuan had orchestrated this entire operation.

Did they really think he would just let them walk away?

After all, they were his carefully chosen prey.

The moment Mars and Jupiter made their move, Luo Yuan caught them.

With a subtle mental command, he synchronized with Giovanni.

Together, they silently maneuvered into position—cutting off every escape route Galactic had.

Their plan was completely crushed.

Luo Yuan then turned to the League trainers, who were still staring up at the airship in shock.

"Forget Rocket for now. Finish off Team Galactic first."

"I'll deal with them."

As he spoke, he released Deoxys—Individual Two.

The moment it emerged, a suffocating pressure radiated from its body, engulfing the entire battlefield.

But rather than feeling overwhelmed, the League trainers were filled with an overwhelming sense of security.

With a Legendary Pokémon on their side—

And Luo Yuan backing them up with constant medical support—

What did they have to fear?

Their only task now was to crush Team Galactic.

With renewed morale, they launched an all-out assault.

Galactic, however, had no such luxuries.

They had already been struggling against the League.

Now, their two commanding officers were being overwhelmed, and Team Rocket loomed overhead.

All they wanted now was to get the hell out of this nightmare and return to Sinnoh.

But wanting something and achieving it were two very different things.

One by one, Galactic trainers fell under the relentless assault.

As their forces crumbled—

At last, the Rocket airship, which had been silently watching all this time, made its move.