Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Ash ultimately lost the match, exiting the tournament at the Top 16 stage.

Yet, Gary's expression didn't show much satisfaction.

If Ash had advanced, Gary's path to the semifinals would have been simpler—he'd only need to defeat Ash in the quarterfinals.

But now, his opponent would be Nock, a trainer clearly several levels above Ash.

After watching Ash and Nock's battle, Gary couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt.

Sighing, he thought, This is going to be tough.

Luo Yuan, familiar with Gary's tendencies, could tell exactly what was on his mind. He gave Gary a pointed look, his tone laced with mild exasperation.

"Instead of worrying about the later rounds, maybe you should focus on winning your next match. Your upcoming opponent is no pushover either."

Hearing this, Gary's confidence swelled.

Patting his chest, he declared, "Relax! I've prepared thoroughly for this battle. My strategy is flawless."

As if to prove his point, he pulled out a notebook and showed it to Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan glanced at the densely packed pages, filled with tactical notes and counter-strategies for various Pokémon.

"It seems you've done your homework," Luo Yuan remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Gary's preparations were clearly more meticulous than Ash's.

"Then I'll be watching closely," Luo Yuan said.

Gary flashed an OK sign before confidently heading toward the battlefield.

---

Half an Hour Later

Gary stood on the field, looking utterly disoriented.

His face was a picture of existential crisis, as if silently asking, Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

From the spectator stands, Luo Yuan couldn't help but grimace, his lips twitching as he struggled not to laugh.

Earlier, Gary's self-assured demeanor had made it seem like victory was all but guaranteed.

Yet, the moment the match began, Gary's plans fell apart. His opponent had swept him with a single Infernape.

To be fair, Gary's tactics had been solid.

But his opponent had started with their strongest Pokémon right out of the gate.

Gary had opened with Arcanine, hoping to use its speed advantage to harass Infernape and wear it down.

However, Infernape's combat experience was unparalleled.

Ignoring Arcanine's attempts to disrupt it, Infernape calmly set up with Bulk Up. By the time Gary realized the danger and ordered Arcanine to close the distance, Infernape unleashed a devastating Focus Punch, knocking Arcanine out in one blow.

Gary's second Pokémon, Blastoise, fared no better.

A poorly timed Hydro Pump gave Infernape the chance to close the gap with Flare Blitz. Another Focus Blast ended the battle before Blastoise could react.

The third round was a glimmer of hope.

Gary sent out Golduck, relying on its Psychic-type moves to counter the Fire- and Fighting-type Infernape.

Golduck managed to restrict Infernape's movements with Confusion and even landed a Water Pulse, nearly causing Infernape to become confused.

If confusion had taken hold, Gary might have turned the battle around.

But luck wasn't on his side.

Infernape remained unconfused, and its movements became more cautious, leaving no openings for Golduck.

After ten grueling minutes, Infernape feigned an attack to bait Golduck into overextending. Then, with one final Focus Blast, it ended the match.

"Sigh..."

Luo Yuan shook his head as he watched Gary's stunned expression.

Honestly, Gary's skills were impressive.

But he lacked a Pokémon capable of pulling off miraculous comebacks like Ash's Charizard. And his opponent was simply too composed, leaving no opportunities to exploit.

Meanwhile, Ash, who had been sulking over his earlier loss, suddenly felt a bit better after witnessing Gary's defeat.

It was... oddly comforting.

Not long after, Gary returned to the stands, surrounded by his girlfriends, all of whom were trying to console him.

"You're not going to let this crush your spirit, are you?" Luo Yuan asked, eyeing Gary's dejected state.

If Gary were to lose all motivation, Luo Yuan thought, his own life might become a lot less entertaining.

"Of course not!" Gary shot back immediately, unwilling to admit defeat. "I was just unlucky this time! If I had another chance, I'd—"

"Good to hear." Luo Yuan cut him off before he could finish, leaving Gary's words caught in his throat.

The interruption left Gary visibly annoyed, his face twisted in frustration.

Ash, meanwhile, laughed without a care in the world, drawing glares from both Gary and his entourage.

Ignoring the bickering duo, Luo Yuan turned his attention back to the tournament, watching the remaining two matches unfold.

With that, the Indigo League's Top 8 trainers were finalized.

Looking at the names displayed on the large screen, Luo Yuan noted that apart from one lucky underdog, most of the remaining trainers—including himself—were contenders aiming for the Elite Four.

Gary's earlier claim of being unlucky wasn't entirely wrong.

In previous Indigo League tournaments, his skill level would have easily landed him in the Top 8, possibly even the semifinals.

But this time, he had been caught in a particularly challenging bracket.

---

After bidding farewell to Ash and Gary, Luo Yuan returned to the hotel with Misty.

There, they found Sabrina, who had just finished her security duties for the day.

"Anything unusual happen today?" Luo Yuan asked, noticing Sabrina seemed hesitant to speak.

Hearing his question, Sabrina replied, "There was one thing."

"Kalos Elite Four member Malva signed a memorandum of cooperation with Kanto's Elite Four representative, Lance."

"If everything proceeds smoothly, the Kalos League will soon provide Mega Evolution stones to Kanto."

"Hmm... That's good news," Luo Yuan remarked.

If Mega Stones became available in Kanto, he could finally put the ones he had in his possession to good use.

There's one more thing, Sabrina added, switching to telepathy.

Luo Yuan immediately glanced at Misty, realizing the topic must involve Team Rocket—something not meant for Misty to hear.

He responded telepathically, What is it?

"After signing the memorandum, Malva left Indigo Plateau under the guise of sightseeing. I suspect she's planning to make a move soon," Sabrina explained.

Luo Yuan nodded. He had previously shared the status of Team Flare with Sabrina, so her concern was warranted.

I see... I'll keep that in mind.

As they conversed silently, Misty glanced between Luo Yuan and Sabrina.

Though neither's expressions betrayed anything unusual, Misty couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Unable to pinpoint what it was, she eventually gave up and dismissed the thought altogether.