Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Watching Gible, Luo Yuan considered his options. If his next opponent wasn't too strong, he could let Gible battle and take a gamble on mid-battle evolution.

Though Gible was newly hatched, it was no ordinary Gible.

This Gible had been steeped in dragon energy for over a thousand years, with an immense reservoir of potential already built up.

Back then, Ash's Charmeleon had evolved into Charizard in a moment of extreme anger.

Who's to say Luo Yuan's Gible couldn't evolve twice in one battle, leaping straight to Garchomp under similar circumstances?

After pondering Gible's potential for a while, Luo Yuan turned his attention back to the fluffy tail of Eevee in his lap. Giving it an absentminded stroke, he moved to oversee Dragonair's training.

Although Luo Yuan used Dragonair less frequently in battle now that he had more Pokémon, Dragonair hadn't lowered its standards.

With Luo Yuan's resources and its natural growth, Dragonair had even surpassed Gyarados in strength.

Whoosh!

In mid-air, Dragonair coiled its serpentine body. The blue orb on its neck glowed brilliantly as it unleashed an Ice Beam.

Gyarados, unable to dodge in time, had half its body encased in ice.

As for Porygon, Aerodactyl, and Ditto, their training routines were left unmentioned for brevity's sake.

Just as Luo Yuan was about to finish his round of coaching, the communicator at his waist buzzed.

The caller was Giovanni.

Dressed in a sleek black suit with impeccably groomed hair, Giovanni's expression was calm and warm. His neighborly demeanor gave no hint that this Gym Leader was, in fact, the leader of Kanto's most infamous criminal organization.

"Giovanni, sir," Luo Yuan greeted respectfully.

This was Giovanni's second time contacting him since the Indigo League tournament began. Luo Yuan suspected it had something to do with the information he'd sent the previous night regarding Team Flare's activities.

"I received the intel you sent," Giovanni began, confirming Luo Yuan's guess.

Luo Yuan remained silent, waiting for Giovanni to continue.

The smile on Giovanni's face faded, replaced by a cold smirk.

"Team Flare has excellent timing—choosing to strike Kanto precisely when all our Team Rocket executives are gathered at Indigo Plateau."

Luo Yuan caught the implication in Giovanni's tone.

"Do you mean to say there's a traitor among us?"

"I believe so," Giovanni replied.

He found it suspicious that Team Flare's actions were so precisely timed, suggesting they might have insider knowledge.

Luo Yuan had a different perspective.

To him, it was entirely possible that Team Flare's timing was mere coincidence.

If they truly knew Giovanni's dual identity as Team Rocket's leader and sought to exploit it, their approach would likely have been more covert—spreading rumors about Giovanni's true identity to sow chaos within Team Rocket while secretly working to rescue Aliana.

Sending a high-profile figure like Malva to the Indigo League seemed too bold and direct.

Still, Luo Yuan lacked concrete evidence to prove Team Flare was unaware of Giovanni's identity.

Perhaps sending Malva was their way of opening negotiations.

So, Luo Yuan played along.

"Who do you suspect the traitor might be, sir?"

"There aren't many in Team Rocket who know my true identity, but there are still enough to raise concerns," Giovanni admitted.

Luo Yuan nodded.

Indeed, several within Team Rocket were privy to Giovanni's secret, including all the higher-ups and a handful of elite members like Jessie, James, and Meowth, as well as their rivals, Cassidy and Butch.

Frankly, it was a miracle Giovanni's identity hadn't been exposed yet, a testament to his tight control over the organization.

"Assign Matori to leak false information and monitor the reactions," Giovanni instructed methodically. "Place all bases on high alert and focus on gathering intel. If Team Flare moves in Kanto, I want their every step tracked."

Giovanni's composure remained unshaken as he continued, "Additionally, I'm granting you permission to activate Mewtwo in critical situations. Should anything happen on my end, use Mewtwo to throw everything into chaos and buy Team Rocket some time."

His plan was meticulous, accounting for nearly every possible scenario.

Even if the League discovered Giovanni's identity, his preparations ensured Team Rocket could recover with minimal losses.

Luo Yuan nodded, committing Giovanni's instructions to memory while contemplating whether this could be an opportunity to eliminate Sird—one of Team Galactic's infiltrators within Team Rocket.

---

Meanwhile, both Ash and Gary advanced smoothly in their matches.

As previously mentioned, Indigo League matchups weren't as random as many believed.

Gary's strength, bolstered by the pressure of Luo Yuan's presence, far surpassed his counterpart in the original story. Though underestimated for not being listed as a seeded competitor, Gary's abilities ensured his victory.

After all, Professor Oak's presence as an official League consultant this year practically guaranteed Gary wouldn't be eliminated in the early rounds.

As for Ash's battle...

"Ash's Charizard uses Wing Attack!"

"Ash's Charizard uses Flamethrower!"

"Ash's Charizard uses Seismic Toss!"

"Ash wins!"

The commentator's voice brimmed with excitement as Ash's Charizard, clutching a Fearow in its claws, executed a devastating Seismic Toss.

The fiery Pokémon slammed Fearow onto the rocky battlefield, leaving a crater in its wake.

Fearow, its feathers scorched from Charizard's earlier attacks, lay unconscious.

With this, Ash's opponent had lost all three Pokémon, securing Ash's victory.

Watching the match, Luo Yuan couldn't help but think, When it's not holding back, Ash's Charizard is genuinely powerful.

Among rookie trainers, it was undoubtedly in the top tier, firmly securing Ash's position as a seeded competitor.

After the match, Ash, brimming with excitement, rushed toward Luo Yuan and Gary.

"How was my match? Pretty strong, huh?" Ash beamed, practically bouncing on his heels.

"Tch," Gary scoffed, brushing his hair back dramatically.

"Just make sure you don't run into me in the next round, or you might not make it any further."