Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

In the confined space of the cabin, most of Cloyster's moves—Blizzard, Razor Shell, Hydro Pump, Icicle Crash, and Spike Cannon—were rendered unusable.

Lorelei could only watch helplessly as her Cloyster grimaced under Deoxys' relentless psychic assault.

Seeing her Pokémon struggling, Lorelei knew it couldn't hold out much longer. Quietly, she reached for her belt, ready to send out her second Pokémon.

"Jynx—"

Just as she prepared to throw Jynx's Poké Ball, her body suddenly froze.

It was as if she'd been turned to stone, her muscles locked in place. The only part of her body that still moved was her eyes.

"Psychic!" Lorelei immediately realized what was happening.

But what puzzled her was how. Deoxys was clearly focused on battling Cloyster—could it be dividing its attention?

The truth was much simpler.

It wasn't Deoxys restraining Lorelei.

It was Luo Yuan.

Since Luo Yuan had never displayed psychic abilities in his Tech Hunter persona, Lorelei naturally assumed Deoxys was responsible.

Meanwhile, Luo Yuan, who was maintaining the psychic hold, felt a mix of emotions. Psychic power, as an extension of mental intent, allowed him to sense physical sensations.

To his credit, Luo Yuan—already a man with three girlfriends—kept his focus. Still, he couldn't help but notice that Lorelei seemed... more endowed than Sabrina.

Pushing the irrelevant thought aside, Luo Yuan curled his finger slightly.

Lorelei's Poké Balls floated off her belt and into his hand.

"To prevent you from doing anything that might jeopardize flight safety, I'll hold onto these for now," Luo Yuan said.

The absurdity of the situation hit Lorelei like a ton of bricks.

He's the one hijacking the plane, but he's talking as if I'm the threat!

She couldn't respond, of course. Bound by psychic energy, she was completely unable to speak or resist.

With her Poké Balls secured, Deoxys finally overpowered Cloyster.

Despite being well-trained, Cloyster never resorted to dangerous moves like Hyper Beam or Self-Destruct, likely due to Lorelei's stringent conditioning.

As Cloyster fell, Luo Yuan turned to Da Zhi.

"You're not thinking of resisting, are you?"

To the untrained ear, it sounded like a threat. But as a Rocket agent, Da Zhi caught the underlying message.

Feigning defiance, Da Zhi hurled a Poké Ball and sent out his Poliwrath.

"Let Lorelei go!" he shouted, playing his role to perfection.

Luo Yuan smirked, pleased with Da Zhi's performance.

"Deoxys, take care of him."

With a flicker of blue light, Deoxys' Psychic sent both Poliwrath and Da Zhi sprawling unconscious to the floor.

Satisfied, Luo Yuan returned his attention to Lorelei.

"For safety's sake, you'll be coming with me for now."

He used his psychic powers to lift Lorelei and carried her toward the cockpit.

---

A brief "discussion" with the pilots ensued, during which Luo Yuan "persuaded" them to divert the plane to One Island's airport.

Upon landing, Luo Yuan released the detained Rocket members, who greeted him with unrestrained gratitude.

The irony of their joy wasn't lost on him.

If they ever find out it was me who got them captured in the first place... well, good thing they'll never know unless they reach the top ranks of Team Rocket.

---

As the plane touched down at One Island Airport, it was met by a large contingent of League trainers.

Headed by Officer Jenny and the stationed League investigators, they surrounded the plane, guns drawn, watching the cabin nervously.

Before they could act, another group arrived—led by Orm, a prominent Rocket executive. The reinforcements swiftly encircled the League trainers.

The freed Rocket members disembarked one by one, joining their allies.

Caught between Rocket forces inside and out, the League trainers hesitated.

Fighting was futile; even without Orm or the Tech Hunter, the sheer numbers difference was overwhelming.

Yet doing nothing while Lorelei remained a hostage wasn't an option either.

The trainers froze, unsure how to proceed.

Luo Yuan, however, paid them no mind.

"It seems my ride is here," he said with a smile, glancing at Lorelei.

He patted her shoulder in mock camaraderie and left her behind, rejoining the Rocket forces.

After ensuring all Rocket operatives were safely evacuated, Luo Yuan mounted his Dragapult and took off, leaving behind several Poké Balls with their activation mechanisms damaged.

---

Lorelei picked up the ruined Poké Balls and stared after the Tech Hunter's retreating figure in silence.

Minutes passed before she let out a heavy sigh.

Turning to the League trainers, she waved them off. "Stand down."

Only Officer Jenny stayed behind.

"Are you alright, Lorelei?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine," Lorelei replied curtly.

Today's events only strengthened her resolve to capture Articuno.

Only a Legendary can stand against another Legendary.

"Officer Jenny, my communicator was destroyed. May I borrow yours?"

"Of course," Jenny said, handing over her device.

Lorelei dialed Luo Yuan's number. When he answered, she was greeted by an unexpected sight: Luo Yuan relaxing on a yacht, with Sabrina beside him in a swimsuit.

"Lorelei?" Luo Yuan's expression showed genuine surprise. "Why are you calling me? Aren't you supposed to be on a plane?"

"Luo Yuan," Lorelei said, her tone heavy, "I have bad news. The Tech Hunter appeared on Sevii Island. He hijacked the plane and freed the captured Rocket operatives."

"What?!" Luo Yuan's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and anger crossing his face.

Lorelei continued, "He's powerful. He commands a Legendary Pokémon called Deoxys. I wasn't able to stop him. I'm calling to warn you—be careful. The Tech Hunter may come for you next."

Considering how many witnesses had seen what happened, there was no point in keeping it secret.

Luo Yuan seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Understood. Thank you for the warning."

Satisfied, Lorelei ended the call. She still had a failure report to write and submit.

As she walked away, her resolve remained firm.

Next time, I'll be ready.

---

T/N: So it's confirmed he sees Matori as a girlfriend then unless he has a hidden girl...