Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

The situation was turning grim for Malva.

First, she was in mid-air, severely limiting her mobility. None of her other Pokémon could fly, meaning she couldn't deploy them to assist in battle.

Second, as a Fire-type specialist, Malva was at a natural disadvantage against the Water/Poison-type Tentacruel, especially one of this size.

Talonflame darted through the air, weaving around the Tentacruel's relentless attacks with Malva clinging tightly.

Of course, Talonflame wasn't entirely defenseless—it was one of Malva's main Pokémon, after all.

However, carrying Malva severely hindered its ability to perform its signature moves, like Brave Bird, Flame Charge, or Flare Blitz. As a result, Talonflame had no choice but to focus entirely on defense.

Malva considered having Talonflame drop her to the ground so she could reorganize her strategy.

But the Tentacruel seemed to anticipate this, launching attack after attack to keep her airborne and deny her any opportunity to land.

Tentacles lashed through the air as the two sides reached a stalemate—Tentacruel attacking fiercely, Talonflame evading skillfully but unable to retaliate.

Though Tentacruel held the advantage, its inability to land a decisive blow was clearly frustrating it.

Its two red, gem-like orbs atop its head began to glow ominously, releasing waves of supersonic energy that surged toward Malva and Talonflame.

The high-frequency sound waves amplified by Tentacruel's power were deafening.

Malva's ears rang painfully, and her head throbbed as though it were splitting apart.

Talonflame, unbalanced by the disorienting sound, wobbled unsteadily in mid-air like a kite with its string cut, looking ready to collapse.

Sensing the opportunity, Tentacruel lashed out with its tentacles once more, narrowly missing them several times.

Malva was in a dire predicament.

Meanwhile, Luo Yuan, tasked with "holding off" Team Rocket, sat leisurely on Dragonite's back, watching the battle unfold below.

"This Tentacruel has grown stronger," Luo Yuan mused.

The last time he encountered it near Lampurchi, he had easily defeated it using his Dragapult. If it had been this strong back then, the fight would have been far more challenging.

While Luo Yuan analyzed the battle, Malva, nearing her limits, finally remembered she wasn't entirely alone.

Of course, she wasn't counting on the exhausted Team Flare operatives below, who were barely holding off the swarm of Tentacool themselves.

She was referring to Luo Yuan, her "ally."

She directed Talonflame to unleash a Flamethrower, briefly forcing the Tentacruel to back off.

"Luo Yuan, help me!" Malva shouted toward the sky where Luo Yuan sat on Dragonite.

As an Elite Four member, asking for assistance from a "rookie" trainer like Luo Yuan was embarrassing, but Malva no longer cared.

"But I need to keep an eye out for Team Rocket..." Luo Yuan replied, his expression feigning hesitation.

"..."

Malva found herself at a loss for words. Why hadn't she noticed before how indecisive Luo Yuan could be?

Whoosh!

Another tentacle lashed past, the cold wind scattering Malva's pink hair and breaking her train of thought.

"Forget about Team Rocket for now! Just help me deal with this Tentacruel!"

"Are you sure?" Luo Yuan asked. "I think Team Rocket's reinforcements could be pretty strong."

"Yes!" Malva said decisively.

Team Rocket hadn't shown up yet, and even if they sent someone powerful, Luo Yuan wouldn't be able to hold them off anyway. The immediate priority was defeating the Tentacruel.

Once again, she commanded Talonflame to dodge the incoming attacks.

Looking up, Malva saw Luo Yuan's expression shift into a strange smile.

"If you insist, Elite Four Malva..." Luo Yuan said. "But if Team Rocket shows up, don't blame me."

Under Malva's impatient gaze, Luo Yuan didn't order Dragonite to attack. Instead, he pulled out another Poké Ball.

Malva frowned, sensing something was off.

"Why isn't he using Dragonite? Is he planning to rely on another Pokémon to deal with the Tentacruel?"

To her, Dragonite seemed the most obvious choice to counter such a massive opponent.

But before she could voice her confusion, Luo Yuan tossed the Poké Ball into the air and leapt off Dragonite's back.

As he descended, something extraordinary happened.

A writhing motion swept over Luo Yuan's body.

In just a second, his casual attire was replaced by a sleek black bodysuit, and a matching black mask covered his face.

"This is..."

Malva felt an odd sense of familiarity as she stared at Luo Yuan's new appearance.

Before she could place where she'd seen it before, a feral roar echoed through the air.

A gray-green figure emerged below Luo Yuan, catching him gracefully.

"Dragapult?"

Malva's heart trembled as recognition dawned.

The sight of the Pokémon, combined with Luo Yuan's sudden transformation, connected the dots in her mind.

Grinding her teeth, she uttered a name that sent chills through her.

"The Tech Hunter!"

Malva's gaze locked onto Luo Yuan, her shock giving way to wariness.

Before Luo Yuan revealed himself, she would never have suspected him to be the infamous Tech Hunter.

A thorn in the side of the Hoenn League, the one who had stolen Mega Evolution stones from Drake and defeated Kanto's Elite Four in head-to-head battles—the Tech Hunter was none other than this "rookie" trainer competing in the Indigo Conference.

The depth of Luo Yuan's deception left her shaken.

And now, with Luo Yuan willingly exposing his true identity, the implications were grim.

Though Malva didn't yet know his exact intentions, she doubted he revealed himself just for a friendly chat.

This meant Luo Yuan was confident in his ability to keep her here.

Her heart sank as she instinctively tightened her grip on the Poké Ball at her waist.

Below, the massive Tentacruel paused mid-attack, its tentacles momentarily frozen as it turned its attention to Luo Yuan and Dragapult.

The instant Luo Yuan's cold gaze fell on it, the Tentacruel trembled slightly.

That icy stare brought back memories of the fear it had once felt under Luo Yuan's dominance.

But Luo Yuan didn't spare it a second glance.

Standing on Dragapult's back, Luo Yuan gave Malva a slight bow and smiled.

"Elite Four Malva, on behalf of Team Rocket, I extend my greetings!"

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

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