So battles are planned, others are unexpected—but a true Champion embraces them all. Consider this bonus Chapter one of those surprises.
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As always, Luo Yuan left the venue on the back of Dragonite.
"Did Malva contact you?" Luo Yuan asked through a video call with Matori.
"Yes, while you were competing earlier, she reached out to one of our mid-level Rocket executives through a black market interdiary."
"Interesting. It seems she's getting restless because of Celosia's disappearance."
Thanks to days of remote reconnaissance using drones, Team Rocket had confird that the stranded mbers on the island were an elite squad from Team Flare, led by their scientist Celosia.
This squad was no small asset to Team Flare. Adding the importance of Celosia as a scientist, it wasn't surprising they were becoming anxious.
"What did she say to you?" Luo Yuan inquired further.
Malva's words were crucial; through them, they could deduce her goals and whether she knew that Celosia's ship had been sunk by the giant Tentacruel.
Hearing Luo Yuan's question, Matori shook her head.
"That woman is cunning. She disguised herself as an ordinary Team Flare mber and requested a eting with us, asking for the release of Aliana."
"She also subtly probed whether we were the ones who had captured Celosia."
"Tch." Luo Yuan clicked his tongue.
It wasn't unexpected for Malva to be so cautious.
As a Kalos Elite Four mber and a well-known dia figure, Malva's intellect was no less formidable than her strength.
Expecting her to act as brashly as Chuck was unrealistic.
"Did she say anything else?" Luo Yuan pressed.
"Not much else. She scheduled another eting tomorrow. I suspect she's trying to contact Lysandre."
"What do we do now?" Matori asked.
"For now, we'll stay put. As I said before, with so many of their people missing, Team Flare is bound to be more desperate than us. All we need to do is tighten surveillance on that island. Let Surge handle it."
While Surge's strength was average, he excelled in large-scale operations and was closer to the target, making him a suitable choice.
"Understood." Matori nodded.
"Does Giovanni know about this?"
"Not yet. I called you imdiately after your match ended." Matori shook her head.
"Huh? You watched my match?" Luo Yuan caught the inconsistency.
As Team Rocket's chief secretary, Matori should have been setting an example. Watching the Indigo League broadcasts during work hours was hardly appropriate.
Luo Yuan smirked teasingly.
Caught off guard, Matori froze for a few seconds before her face turned beet red. She glared at Luo Yuan.
Smiling faintly, Luo Yuan decided to drop the topic after his playful jab. "How's the establishnt of the Internal Affairs Departnt coming along?"
It had been several days since he proposed the departnt, and with Matori's efficiency, there should be progress by now.
"The frawork is in place. I've deployed the first investigation teams under the guise of restructuring the financial system on the Sevii Islands."
"Any findings?"
Matori's expression turned grave. "The investigation team reviewed records from the Sevii Islands branch and found nurous instances of unauthorized data access."
"Although these incidents appear isolated, your earlier insights led to a connection—all these individuals have either worked under Sird or were directly or indirectly recruited by him."
"Hmph, the fox's tail is showing," Luo Yuan said with a cold smile.
It was undeniable that Sird was a Galactic spy. With evidence in hand, Luo Yuan could finally uproot this thorn lodged in Team Rocket's heart.
"Don't alert him yet. Continue the investigation. Keep an eye on anyone connected to Sird, and compile a list for . Once the Indigo League and Team Flare matters are settled, I'll handle it all at once."
"Understood!" Matori nodded.
Luo Yuan was indisputably capable; with him taking action, removing Sird was only a matter of ti.
After discussing more internal Rocket matters, Luo Yuan instructed Matori to subtly reveal during her next conversation with Malva that they were aware Team Flare had sent people to Kanto.
Using this as bait, they'd draw Malva into a face-to-face eting.
With the instructions given, Luo Yuan ended the call with Matori and then reached out to Giovanni to report the situation.
---
"Good work. Proceed with your plan. I'll keep an eye on the League. If anything cos up, I'll inform you," Giovanni said calmly over the call.
Luo Yuan keenly sensed a subtle shift in Giovanni's tone. "Sothing happened, didn't it, Boss?"
"I've been chosen as the next Elite Four Ground-type specialist."
A trace of helplessness flickered across Giovanni's face on the screen.
Clearly, this was not a role he relished.
Initially, Giovanni had wanted to decline.
But with Lance, Agatha, Lorelei, and Bruno all present at the ti, Giovanni feared that rejecting the offer might arouse suspicion, potentially leading to a united effort to capture him.
Although Koga and Sabrina were also there on his side, exposing half of Team Rocket's senior staff and risking Luo Yuan's involvent through Sabrina wasn't an option Giovanni was willing to consider.
Reluctantly, he had to agree.
Luo Yuan: "..."
If the Indigo League trainers, struggling for a chance to challenge the Elite Four, heard this, they'd probably burst into tears.
To be begged to beco an Elite Four mber—what a dream co true for most.
But Giovanni was Giovanni. He only revealed his genuine feelings to Luo Yuan, his most trusted subordinate, before swiftly regaining composure.
"If the Kanto League insists on making an Elite Four mber, I'll make the most of it."
"Boss, you an..."
"A re Elite Four position isn't enough to satisfy my ambitions." A glint of a scher's cunning shone in Giovanni's eyes.
Seeing Giovanni in this state, Luo Yuan couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the Kanto League.
Giovanni had already expressed disinterest in joining the League, content with leading Team Rocket.
But since the League insisted on inviting trouble, they had no one to bla but themselves.
As Giovanni prepared his Pokémon for the Elite Four role and Lance set off for Johto to take up the Champion title, Luo Yuan, having handled the Rocket affairs, returned to the Indigo League arena.
There, he found an upset Misty with her arms crossed, looking as if she'd been stewing in frustration.
The mont she saw Luo Yuan, her annoyance peaked.
"Ahem. Sothing ca up, so I got delayed for a bit," Luo Yuan said, trying to soothe Misty, who had been left waiting for half an hour.
---
A true Champion knows that every battle, every choice, and every unexpected twist shapes the path to mastery. Consider this bonus Chapter a rare encounter—one that wouldn't be possible without the right support.
That's why you should support WiseTL at [/WiseTL]—where every pledge helps bring more high-quality translations to life, staying true to the original while flowing naturally in English. After all, excellence is in the details.
Now, if you'll excuse , I have more to prepare for. But you? You should take this opportunity—you never know what rare finds await.
—Cynthia
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