With barely any effort, Luo Yuan dispatched the Rocket trio once again, and as their familiar figures disappeared into the distance, his system pinged in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on achieving the "Persistent Trio" milestone. You have earned 1 draw! Would you like to proceed with the draw?]
"Draw, as always," he replied ntally.
By now, Luo Yuan had grown accustod to the system's rhythm. Winning milestones for sothing like trouncing the trio felt almost routine.
[Drawing... please wait.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired: Psychic Abilities.]
[Psychic Abilities: Also known as telekinesis, a special ability unique to so humans in the Pokémon world.]
"Psychic powers..." Luo Yuan mused, recalling his days at the Saffron Gym when he first encountered telekinetic abilities. How long ago that had been...
"Luo Yuan!" Misty's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Hm?"
"Your room key." Misty handed him a key with a small smile.
Because he'd helped handle the trouble with the Rocket grunts, Nurse Joy had kindly arranged private rooms for each of them—an upgrade from the usual shared accommodations.
"Thanks," Luo Yuan said, accepting the key. He would have preferred using Rocket funds to stay at a five-star hotel, but this was Nurse Joy's kindness, after all.
A subtle vibration emanated from his pocket.
It was the signal—Giovanni was summoning him.
Knowing his boss was just across town at Viridian Gym, Luo Yuan imdiately understood.
"Misty, I'll be heading out to take a walk around the area," he said casually, flashing her a smile. Misty's cheeks flushed, and she looked away, fidgeting slightly.
Once outside, Luo Yuan slipped into a nearby alleyway, pressed a hidden button on his sleeve, and in an instant, his clothes transford into the sleek black uniform of Team Rocket.
Pulling a mask over his face, he reached for one of his Poké Balls, and in a flash of green light, his Dragapult hovered by his side, silent as a shadow.
"Let's go to 'headquarters,'" he instructed, feeding it a specially-made energy snack.
Dragapult nodded.
With a barely-there swoosh, it rose silently into the air and darted toward Viridian Gym, disappearing in a blur across the night sky.
Viridian Gym was notorious among trainers for being the toughest gym in Kanto. Giovanni's mastery over Ground-type Pokémon was sothing of a legend, and his reputation haunted even the most ambitious contenders in the region.
What few people realized, however, was that Giovanni was an even bigger nightmare in the shadows, where he masterminded an underground network that stretched far beyond Kanto.
As they arrived, Dragapult touched down lightly in the gym's private courtyard, and a chanical rumbling sounded as the ground split open to reveal an entryway into the underground headquarters.
They descended, and Luo Yuan returned Dragapult to its ball. Passing various Rocket grunts, who respectfully addressed him as "Sir," he continued down the hall.
"There you are," said Matori, standing at the end of the corridor with a clipboard, her expression one of practiced neutrality. "Giovanni is expecting you."
Luo Yuan smirked as if seeing her for the first ti. "Matori! Long ti, no see!"
"..."
Matori clenched her jaw but held her tongue. Luo Yuan's identity was classified, and despite his frequent taunts, she wasn't allowed to retaliate. Still, her scowl was almost visible beneath her professional facade.
Luo Yuan chuckled and, seeing the steam practically rising off Matori, wisely decided to dial it back.
"Let's not keep Giovanni waiting," he said, feigning an air of professionalism.
She glared at him one last ti but motioned for him to follow.
---
As Luo Yuan entered Giovanni's office, he found his boss seated, as usual, in his large black leather chair with Persian curled gracefully at his feet. The image was iconic, with Giovanni's hand stroking Persian's head as he stared at the large screen on the opposite wall.
"Sir, Luo Yuan has arrived," Matori announced.
With that, Giovanni's chair swiveled around, and Persian pivoted elegantly alongside him, making sure Giovanni's hand stayed connected to its head the entire ti, purring in contentnt.
Seeing this coordination, Luo Yuan almost pitied owth.
"Of course Giovanni would choose Persian," Luo Yuan thought. "Not like that conniving owth, who spends half its ti badmouthing him."
But his musings remained private.
Out loud, he said, "You called, sir?"
"Yes, Luo Yuan." Giovanni gestured to the large screen, which displayed several statistics and reports. "News from Hoenn: thanks to our inside work, the League has redirected their investigation toward Galar."
"Good news. Should I return to Hoenn, then?"
Truthfully, Luo Yuan was eager to head back. He'd set up significant resources and connections there, and his team's expansion into Hoenn was just a matter of ti.
But Giovanni shook his head.
"No. Hoenn is quiet for now. However, our informants within Team Aqua and Team Magma report both groups are actively pursuing Kyogre and Groudon, hoping to control them."
Luo Yuan raised a brow. "They're aiming that high, huh?"
Sure, Giovanni's pursuit of wtwo was ambitious, but he'd had the resources to back it up, creating wtwo from the ground up and nearly succeeding in controlling it—at least temporarily.
But Aqua and Magma? Two poorly equipped organizations with barely any infrastructure?
"They're playing with fire," Luo Yuan remarked.
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