Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 371: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [] [40 PS]

Hearing Luo Yuan bring up the "home visit" again, Lusamine felt a surge of anger, especially as she thought of Lillie still in his custody.

Taking a deep breath, she struggled to calm herself. Her chest heaved with the effort, but eventually, she managed to filter out his provoking words.

Shifting her focus to the battlefield, Lusamine quickly realized there was no chance of winning against Team Rocket in a direct confrontation—not with Luo Yuan present.

Even with every resource the Aether Foundation had at its disposal, victory wasn't guaranteed. And in the current situation? It was out of the question.

"If you dare, then come!"

With that, Lusamine turned and sprinted toward the main building of Aether Paradise, not bothering to look back.

"Lord Luo Yuan..." Guzma hesitated, glancing between the retreating Lusamine and Luo Yuan, awaiting his orders.

"You stay here and take care of the remaining Aether Foundation trainers," Luo Yuan instructed. "Leave Lusamine to me."

As a teacher, Luo Yuan was determined to carry out his responsibilities.

A home visit promised was a home visit delivered.

With Matori overseeing the operation and Guzma acting as enforcer, the situation outside was well under control.

Tapping his earpiece, Luo Yuan said, "Matori, send me the layout of Aether Paradise."

...

Luo Yuan moved leisurely through Aether Paradise, his psychic energy locked onto Lusamine as she fled.

He made no effort to catch up.

If capturing Lusamine was his sole goal, he could have done so a thousand different ways earlier.

But eliminating her wasn't part of Team Rocket's plan.

For Team Rocket to discreetly seize control of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine, as its president, had to be subdued.

Yet Lusamine's stubborn and obsessive nature meant her spirit needed to be broken first.

The solution was simple: let her exhaust every tactic she could think of, only to realize how utterly powerless she was against him.

As Luo Yuan mused on his strategy, a massive figure suddenly leaped toward him.

"Ki—!"

A pink-furred Bewear, wearing a deceptively cute expression, lunged at Luo Yuan.

"Bewear, use Hammer Arm!" Lusamine commanded.

Luo Yuan chuckled softly. With his psychic senses tracking her movements, this "ambush" was no surprise.

"Deoxys."

With a snap of his fingers, a flash of white light revealed Deoxys in its defense form, positioning itself between Luo Yuan and Bewear.

Bang!

Bewear's thick arms slammed into Deoxys's crossed appendages, but the alien Pokémon didn't budge an inch.

"Ki?"

Bewear tilted its head in confusion.

This had never happened before. With its immense strength, it was used to overwhelming its opponents.

But not every Bewear was a Tapu's chosen guardian.

This particular Bewear clearly lacked the strength of Tapu's legendary Bewear.

Taking advantage of Bewear's hesitation, Deoxys shifted seamlessly into its speed form and struck decisively.

Psychic!

With a sharp glow of psychic energy, Deoxys hoisted Bewear into the air, leaving it suspended helplessly.

"Ki!" Bewear cried out in pain as the psychic grip tightened.

Deoxys didn't stop there. Switching forms again, it delivered a crushing Zen Headbutt, slamming Bewear into the wall. Bewear slumped down, fainted.

One of Lusamine's main battlers had been defeated in just two moves.

She had never anticipated such an outcome.

But as she observed Deoxys, recognition dawned—it was one of the legendary Pokémon that had clashed with Groudon and Kyogre during the Hoenn incident.

"...You even brought a legendary Pokémon?"

A flicker of fear crossed Lusamine's face. Hastily recalling her fallen Bewear, she activated the hallway's security doors in a desperate attempt to block Luo Yuan's path before running deeper into the facility.

"She saw Deoxys and still hasn't given up?" Luo Yuan muttered. "Let's see what else you've got."

With a wave of his hand, Deoxys unleashed its immense psychic power, ripping the security doors apart.

Together, the two pressed forward, unimpeded.

---

Lusamine darted through the hallways of Aether Paradise, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Realizing her Pokémon were no match for Luo Yuan, she abandoned further attempts to fight and focused solely on escaping.

In her haste, she had even kicked off her high heels, her stocking-clad feet pounding against the cold metal floors as she ran.

Repeatedly, she tried to lose him by using the facility's complex layout, but Luo Yuan always seemed to know exactly where she was.

There was no doubt in her mind—Faba had leaked everything to him.

"Damn Faba," she cursed under her breath.

Her frantic pace left her heaving, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

But she couldn't afford to stop.

No matter how hard she ran, Luo Yuan was always just behind her, giving her no opportunity to rest.

The cat-and-mouse game was humiliating. She felt as though she were being toyed with.

Finally, as her stamina waned, Lusamine burst through the main building and arrived at the private mansion at the rear of Aether Paradise.

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf