Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

The quarterfinal matches concluded in less than a day.

Among the four trainers advancing to the semifinals, apart from Luo Yuan, the remaining three included Nock, who had defeated Ash and hailed from the Unova region; Bando, from Kalos; and Daimei, a female trainer also from Kanto like Luo Yuan.

Having two Kanto-native trainers in the semifinals largely saved the face of the Kanto League. After all, if all the semifinalists came from other regions without a single local trainer, it would be humiliating.

At the same time, the semifinal matchups turned out to be quite "interesting."

Luo Yuan and Daimei, the two Kanto trainers, were placed in the same group. This ensured that at least one Kanto trainer would make it to the finals.

"If this isn't rigged, I'll eat my Poké Ball," Luo Yuan muttered after glancing at the matchups on TV. He then switched the channel to Eevee's favorite romance drama.

Afterward, Luo Yuan began packing his things.

He planned to leave Indigo Plateau temporarily.

Unlike previous rounds, there was a short break after the quarterfinals.

This was a recent addition to the Indigo Conference format.

To ensure the semifinalists could perform at their best, a three-day rest period was scheduled before the semifinals, allowing trainers to heal their injured Pokémon.

For Luo Yuan, this break was perfectly timed.

While his Pokémon didn't need much recovery, Giovanni was currently absent from Team Rocket, and there were matters involving Team Flare that required his attention.

---

Viridian City - Viridian Gym

Team Rocket Kanto Headquarters

Luo Yuan walked through the corridor, and every passing Team Rocket grunt halted to salute him. They only resumed their tasks after he passed.

Knock knock.

Luo Yuan rapped lightly on Matori's office door. Without waiting for a response, he pushed it open and entered casually.

Matori looked up at Luo Yuan, her expression unchanged.

She was already used to this.

To her, Luo Yuan barging in without waiting for permission was just his style. If he ever waited for her approval, she'd suspect it wasn't really him.

"I heard Malva was spotted near Lampurchi?"

Luo Yuan sat naturally across from her desk, picked up her coffee, took a sip, and remarked, "Good coffee."

Matori stared at him silently for a moment before saying, "...That's the coffee I just drank."

"Oh, sorry. Here you go." Luo Yuan took another sip before placing the cup back.

"..."

Matori rolled her eyes, realizing Luo Yuan was blatantly teasing her.

If she dwelled on it, she'd only be giving him the reaction he wanted.

So she changed the subject. "Yes, Surge's people spotted Malva near Lampurchi."

Luo Yuan was slightly disappointed that she didn't rise to the bait, but business came first.

After a moment of thought, he asked, "If I'm not mistaken, Claire's island isn't far from Lampurchi, is it?"

Although he'd driven the giant Tentacruel away before, those Pokémon were highly territorial and unlikely to migrate far.

"Correct. If Malva continues searching, it's very likely she'll find traces of the Team Flare members."

"In fact, I suspect she already has some intel," Matori continued. "Otherwise, she couldn't have pinpointed Lampurchi so quickly."

It was logical. Before Team Flare's members lost contact, they'd likely communicated with Malva.

Tracking their last known location would inevitably lead her to Claire and the others stranded on the island.

"Has Malva contacted us since last time?" Luo Yuan asked.

Matori shook her head. "I think she plans to confirm Claire's situation first and then decide whether to negotiate with us."

That was a reasonable strategy.

If Claire wasn't in Team Rocket's hands, Malva showing up unprepared would be walking into a trap.

However, if Malva did find Claire and her team, she'd undoubtedly try to rescue them.

Surge would struggle to hold off an Elite Four member alone.

Letting Claire escape would pose a significant risk to Team Rocket.

After contemplating for a moment, Luo Yuan said, "I'll handle it myself."

The upcoming Elite Four election was critical for both him and Team Rocket. They couldn't afford to let Malva divert their resources.

Matori seemed to guess Luo Yuan's thoughts from his expression.

Still, she asked, "What's your plan?"

"Tell Surge to leak some information and lure Malva to the island," Luo Yuan said, adjusting his cuff. His gaze met Matori's as he smiled. "Then, in the next two days, we'll wipe out both sides in one move."

---

Two days had passed since Malva left Indigo Plateau.

She had traveled to Lampurchi, a tourist city in southern Kanto.

Claire's last known location was nearby.

But despite searching for two days, she still hadn't found Claire—or even a trace of her.

This strengthened her suspicion that Team Rocket had indeed captured Claire and her team.

If it were an accident, there would have been some clues.

The thought of contacting Team Rocket to start negotiations crossed her mind again.

But Team Rocket's demand for an in-person meeting left her wary.

As the only active Team Flare member in Kanto, negotiating meant she'd have to appear herself, risking exposure as both a Kalos Elite Four member and a Team Flare operative.

On the other hand, she worried Team Rocket might seize the opportunity to capture her too.

After much deliberation, she finally made a decision.

"Two more days. If I still can't find anything, I'll negotiate with them."

With that in mind, Malva picked up her coffee, ready to take a sip and leave.

Suddenly, a vaguely familiar voice called out from behind her.

"Elite Four Malva?"

Malva's heart skipped a beat as she turned around.

Standing at the entrance, looking genuinely surprised, was Luo Yuan, whom she had previously interviewed at Indigo Plateau.

"What's he doing here…?"

The thought flashed through her mind before she instinctively responded with a polite smile.

"Hello."

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)