With his attention on Altaria, Drake didn't notice Gengar sneaking up behind him, moving silently through the shadows.
It wasn't until he felt the tug that he realized what had happened.
But it was too late.
Gengar's Shadow Claw easily sliced through the strap securing the case.
With a gleeful grin, Gengar snatched the case and flashed a mischievous smile at Drake, whose face contorted in fury as he commanded Salance to lunge for it.
Unfazed, Gengar opened its massive mouth, stuffing the case inside.
Urp! Gengar even let out a loud belch.
Drake was seething.
He'd fought with everything he had to protect those ga Stones.
Just as he'd started to break through with Salance's attack on Dragapult, Gengar had ruined everything.
"Salance, grab it!"
"Bleh!" Gengar stuck out its tongue at Drake, pulling a face before sinking back into the shadows and reappearing beside Luo Yuan.
"Quite the trickster, aren't you..." Luo Yuan said, looking at Drake's expression of mounting frustration before glancing down at Gengar.
Gengar struck a proud pose, hands on its hips.
But there was no ti for chit-chat. Drake's attack was coming in fast, as ga Salance's Flathrower roared toward Gengar.
"Now's our chance for payback! This is our only shot—go, Dragapult!"
Luo Yuan gave Dragapult an encouraging pat. Eager to strike, Dragapult unleashed a Shadow Ball to intercept the flas.
Then, with a quick follow-up, Dragapult launched a Dragon Pulse that tore through the weakened Shadow Ball and followed the Flathrower's path back toward Salance.
Boom!
The blast seared Salance's chest, its armor blackened and charred as it skidded back across the deck, breaking through the railing.
Luo Yuan watched the wounded Salance but held off on pursuing it further.
With a grin, he shared a look with Sabrina.
Picking up Gengar, Luo Yuan tucked it into his shadow before hopping back onto Dragapult.
"Where do you think you're going? What about Team Rocket's share!?" Sabrina demanded, as planned.
"You're all a bit naïve, aren't you? Whoever grabs it, keeps it..." Luo Yuan gave a casual wave. "So long, everyone!"
Whoosh!
With a silent leap, Dragapult shot into the sky, then sped off into the horizon, vanishing in an instant.
"Damn it!" Sabrina snarled.
It was only then that Salance, dazed and still shaking off the effects of Dragon Pulse, was able to regain its footing. But it was too late to give chase.
"..."
Drake could only watch as Luo Yuan disappeared.
The ga Stones were lost.
With a grim expression, Drake turned to the other culprit in this attack—the Rocket agents, who were preparing to retreat.
If not for Team Rocket, the Tech Hunter would never have had an opening.
He resolved to bring every last one of them down.
Without the Tech Hunter's Dragapult and Gengar, Team Rocket was no match for him.
However, Sabrina and Luo Yuan had anticipated this.
Sabrina calmly smoothed back her hair and addressed the irate Drake, who was preparing to attack.
"Rather than waste your ti on us, perhaps you should be worrying about the S.S. Anne."
"What do you an?" Drake paused, his brow furrowing.
"Exactly what it sounds like. We've planted twenty Electrodes under the ship, and in about twenty minutes, they'll start self-destructing one by one. So instead of going after Team Rocket, you might want to handle them first."
With that, Sabrina turned on her heel and began leading her operatives away.
Drake's expression shifted from anger to indecision. In the end, he didn't pursue Team Rocket.
As an Elite, his duty was to protect the S.S. Anne and its passengers, not to capture Team Rocket.
---
Lamprecht Resort Hotel
Inside the luxurious suite, Luo Yuan and Sabrina t up again after departing from the S.S. Anne.
"All taken care of?" Luo Yuan asked casually, hanging up the phone as Sabrina walked in.
She eyed the phone, feeling sothing strange, but dismissed it.
"All operatives are en route to the base on New Island by submarine," she replied.
"Drake didn't chase you?"
"He was too busy hunting down those Electrodes to worry about us."
Luo Yuan chuckled.
There actually had been Electrodes planted beneath the ship. However, instead of twenty, there was only one, intended to create a minor leak at most.
He wasn't a fan of involving innocents, and risking innocent lives wasn't his style.
The plan was simple: if Drake doubted the threat, Sabrina would detonate the single Electrode to prove it was real.
But Drake had taken them at their word, so no Electrode had to explode at all.
"Well, I'd call that a complete success."
Luo Yuan gestured to Gengar, who promptly spit out the case.
After confirming there were no tracking devices, Luo Yuan opened it. The ga Stones were neatly arranged inside, each one labeled with its corresponding species.
Luo Yuan scanned the case, noting that legendary ga Stones and those for certain rare Hoenn Pokémon were missing.
And, as expected, the slots labeled for Altaria and Salance were empty.
"Seems Hoenn didn't leave empty-handed after all."
Luo Yuan chuckled.
Sabrina's eyebrow twitched. "..."
If Hoenn heard that all they'd managed to protect were two ga Stones, they'd want to kill him.
Now ca the loot split.
First, the ga Stones for Beedrill and Kangaskhan would be set aside for Giovanni, as those were non-negotiable.
Luo Yuan pocketed a Gyaradosite, Gengarite, Charizardite X and Y, and Aerodactylite.
"Aren't you worried Giovanni will notice so stones missing?" Sabrina asked as he picked through the case.
"We worked so hard on this mission; isn't it fair we keep a few for ourselves?" Luo Yuan replied, perfectly at ease.
Giovanni knew him well.
If he'd been chosen for this mission, Giovanni was likely already prepared to "lose" a few ga Stones.
Sabrina blinked, then nodded. It made sense.
Luo Yuan then pulled out an Alakazite, Gardevoirite, and Slowbronite, handing them to her.
"These are for you."
"I only have an Alakazam. What do I need ga Stones for Gardevoir and Slowbro for?"
"Maybe you don't have them now, but who knows? Just like I don't have an Aerodactyl yet. Besides, these are all Psychic-types—consider it a backup plan."
---
T/N: I can die happy GA CAHRIAHIZHIArd
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