Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 358: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [] [50 PS]

The front doors exploded inward, filling the hideout with dust and smoke.

"Who's there?!"

The Skulls stationed at the entrance barely managed to shout before their voices were cut off.

It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed their throats, lifting them off the ground. They dangled helplessly, their struggles reduced to muffled gasps.

Amid the haze, a series of synchronized footsteps echoed.

Out of the smoke emerged Matori, flanked by Mewtwo and a squad of Team Rocket operatives.

Initially, Guzma had been ready to teach the intruders a lesson.

But the moment his eyes landed on the red "R" emblazoned on their chests, his confidence wavered.

"Team Rocket?!"

Guzma's pupils contracted.

Due to the many Alolan celebrities who had studied in Kanto, the region had frequent exchanges with Kanto. Guzma instantly recognized the crimson "R" as the symbol of the infamous organization that dominated Kanto: Team Rocket.

The memory of their brazen expansion into Hoenn during the recent Groudon and Kyogre incident was still fresh in his mind.

"When did Team Rocket come to Alola?"

A sinking feeling gripped Guzma's heart.

His hand instinctively reached for his waist to activate his communicator, intending to alert Lusamine.

But before his fingers could touch it, Matori's sharp gaze locked onto him.

"You're Guzma?"

Her question was rhetorical. The confidence in her tone told Guzma she already knew the answer.

It was clear that Team Rocket had planned this operation meticulously, striking at the perfect moment—right after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Luo Yuan.

His main Pokémon, Golisopod, was already incapacitated.

How do they know I lost to Luo Yuan? And how did they time their arrival so perfectly?

"You..." Guzma began, but he never finished the sentence.

A sudden wave of psychic energy immobilized him.

Apart from his eyes, his entire body was paralyzed.

He caught a glimpse of Mewtwo before his consciousness faded.

Matori surveyed the room, her gaze sweeping over the incapacitated Team Skull members sprawled across the floor.

"Round them up," she ordered. "Then proceed with the plan."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The Rocket operatives saluted before quickly moving into action.

Within moments, they began systematically clearing the hideout.

Once the area was secured, the operatives shed their Rocket uniforms and donned pre-prepared Team Skull attire, blending seamlessly into their surroundings as "Skull grunts."

The same operation was unfolding across Alola.

Guided by Team Skull insiders, Team Rocket systematically infiltrated and dismantled Skull hideouts, neutralizing their members and replacing them from within.

It was the same "shell company takeover" strategy that Luo Yuan had successfully employed in the Kalos region.

The operation went largely unnoticed by the general public.

After all, few cared about the fate of a group as disliked as Team Skull.

Even the local police rarely intervened unless Skull caused trouble, and with the "grunts" lying low under Rocket control, no alarms were raised.

However, Lusamine, who maintained close ties with Guzma, quickly sensed that something was amiss.

Repeated attempts to contact Guzma failed, each call met with a disconnected line.

"Find out what's happening on Melemele Island," Lusamine instructed her subordinates.

But the Aether Foundation's remote location on an artificial island made gathering intelligence difficult.

Team Skull had been one of Lusamine's key sources of information. Without their network, she felt blind.

It took her an entire afternoon to piece together what had happened.

The report painted a dire picture:

Guzma had led a Team Skull assault on Luo Yuan, only to suffer a crushing defeat. He had abandoned his grunts and fled in disgrace.

Yet something about the story didn't sit right with Lusamine.

If Guzma had only lost to Luo Yuan, why wasn't he answering her calls?

What could have happened to him?

What force in Alola could prevent Guzma from even contacting her?

Brows furrowed, Lusamine stared out the window, the familiar view of Alola suddenly seeming unfamiliar.

The region felt shrouded in unseen turmoil.

---

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By the time Professor Kukui heard about the attack on Luo Yuan, it was already evening.

Rushing to the beach, he was relieved to find everyone safe and unharmed.

"Thank goodness you're all alright," Kukui said, exhaling deeply.

After learning that Luo Yuan and Sabrina had fended off Guzma and Team Skull, Kukui's gaze toward Luo Yuan was filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Luo Yuan. I don't know what we would have done without you."

As a member of Johto's Elite Four, Luo Yuan had volunteered to teach at Alola's Pokémon School during what was supposed to be a vacation.

Not only had he selflessly shared his knowledge with the students, but he had also stepped in to protect them during the attack.

Kukui couldn't help but admire Luo Yuan's selflessness and sense of responsibility.

"It was nothing," Luo Yuan replied modestly. "I couldn't just stand by and let my students be taken."

His calm demeanor only deepened Kukui's admiration.

After a few more words of thanks, Kukui's expression turned serious.

"About Lillie's situation," he began, "I was only able to reach Hala, the island kahuna of Melemele. Unfortunately, the situation isn't looking great."

"How so?" Luo Yuan asked.

"It's not easy to gather all four island kahunas for a meeting, especially without concrete evidence," Kukui explained. "Hala promised to help, but even so, the earliest we can convene is during the festival in Iki Town."

Luo Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "When's the festival?"

"In two weeks," Kukui replied. His gaze shifted to Nebby, who was playing on the beach with Lillie and the others.

"Also, Principal Oak seems to have found some information about that little one."

---

...

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