Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

With Team Flare neatly arranged in his mind,

Luo Yuan picked up the Eevee, which was still "fighting" his palm, and held it high. The action instantly made Eevee forget its earlier "anger" at Luo Yuan for forcibly changing the TV channel.

Nearby, Gible glanced at the cheerful Eevee, then lowered its head and continued working on the energy cube.

It was determined to grow quickly and become a valuable Pokémon!

---

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

Since all matches for the day had concluded, Sabrina—responsible for security at Indigo Plateau—found herself with unexpected free time. Luo Yuan had dragged her and Misty into spending the entire day at the hotel.

In the end, despite her numerous protests, Luo Yuan got his wish.

---

The Next Day

After a full day of battling, Luo Yuan—thanks to his affinity for Ground-types and barely using any stamina—was refreshed and energetic as he arrived alone at the preliminary arena.

The familiar water arena, shaped like a pool, was already packed with spectators filling the seats.

Thanks to Team Rocket's recording and the widespread reports dubbing him the "top-seeded trainer," Luo Yuan's match had attracted a massive audience eager to witness his skills firsthand.

Among the crowd were Gary, Ash, and Brock.

His opponent was a girl named Keiko, who stood across from him on the other side of the arena. Her face was filled with despair as she stared at Luo Yuan.

With his sharp hearing, Luo Yuan could even make out her muttering.

"Why me? Why does it have to be me?"

It was clear Team Rocket's infamous reports had done their damage, instilling a deep psychological shadow in the girl—despite Luo Yuan's undeniably handsome appearance.

Even the referee, having likely seen the same reports, cast a sympathetic look at the girl before announcing the rules.

"The second round of preliminaries will now begin. Both trainers may use three Pokémon each. A trainer wins when all of their opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. Are there any objections?"

"Wait…!"

Keiko suddenly raised her hand and looked at Luo Yuan with pitiful eyes. "Um, could you… go easy on me?"

Her pleading tone, paired with her delicate features, made her look somewhat adorable.

If Luo Yuan hadn't noticed the glint of cunning in her eyes through his psychic powers, he might have believed her act.

Seeing Keiko's expression, Luo Yuan gave an understanding smile. "Of course."

Keiko's face lit up with surprise, this time genuinely.

She had only asked on a whim, not expecting Luo Yuan to agree.

Hurriedly nodding toward the referee to signal the match's start, she feared Luo Yuan might change his mind.

The referee, satisfied that both sides were ready, wasted no time.

"Match, start!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Luo Yuan threw out a Poké Ball.

Thud!

With a flash of white light, a Gyarados emerged onto the field.

"ROAR!"

Having been cooped up for a while, Gyarados let out a deafening roar the moment it appeared, sending ripples across the water surface and blowing Keiko's long hair into disarray. Her face turned pale.

"G-Gyarados!"

Keiko stammered, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Her opponent was sparing her, sure… but not in the way she'd imagined.

While Gyarados wasn't as overwhelming as Dragonite, the sheer presence of this Gyarados—especially one belonging to Luo Yuan—was daunting.

The battle, however, had to go on.

"Machamp, please help me get through this! At least don't embarrass me too much," Keiko mumbled.

Luo Yuan watched, expecting her to send out something like an Eevee or Jigglypuff.

Instead, there was another flash of white light.

With a loud, spirited cry, a muscular, gray-bodied Pokémon with four arms and granite-like muscles appeared. The Pokémon wore black-striped shorts and radiated an aura of sheer masculinity.

Machamp.

"…"

Luo Yuan couldn't help but give Keiko a second look.

The contrast between this petite trainer and her Pokémon was striking.

Had he not seen it for himself, he'd never have guessed such a delicate-looking girl would summon a Machamp.

"Next time, no matter who the opponent is, I need to do my homework beforehand," Luo Yuan noted to himself. Though this time the opponent wasn't particularly threatening, gathering intel was clearly important.

Still, what intrigued Luo Yuan more was why Keiko chose a Fighting-type like Machamp against Gyarados, a Pokémon with Flying-type attributes.

Could it be she was gambling on Gyarados not knowing any Flying-type moves?

Keiko, noticing Luo Yuan's puzzled expression, felt a pang of embarrassment.

It's not like I had a choice!

If she had an Electric-type Pokémon, she wouldn't have chosen Machamp.

But since the day she embarked on her journey as a trainer, Keiko had idolized Bruno. Most of her team consisted of Fighting-types as a result.

As these thoughts whirled through her mind, Keiko sighed at the lack of diversity in her team. Nonetheless, she acted quickly.

"Machamp, use Mega Punch!"

Fully aware that Gyarados was a Flying-type, Keiko deliberately avoided using Fighting-type moves.

Machamp's muscles bulged as it gathered power, leaping high into the air and aiming a punch at Gyarados.

The punch carried immense force and seemed impressive to the crowd.

The commentator immediately exclaimed, "Keiko's Machamp looks incredibly strong! Could she pull off a miracle?"

The answer was obvious: no.

Not only was Luo Yuan a Trainer at the level of an Elite Four member, but his Gyarados was also in a league of its own.

For context, the cost of feeding Luo Yuan's Gyarados for a single day was equivalent to what most trainers spent on their entire team in a week.

"Use Aqua Tail!"

Luo Yuan didn't bother using a Flying-type move or even a Dragon-type attack.

Gyarados's tail absorbed water from the arena, growing to nearly three times its original size before swinging with tremendous force.

The massive water-laden tail collided with Machamp's punch.

Thud!

The impact sent shockwaves through the arena.

Splash!

Water splattered everywhere as Machamp's fist sank deep into the tail's watery surface.