Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 373: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [] [100 PS]

But now, it was Lusamine who found herself trapped with the Ultra Beast—while Luo Yuan stood outside, casually observing.

Her careful setup had become her own undoing.

As Nihilego lunged toward her, Lusamine panicked and quickly threw out a Pokéball in defense.

"Clefable, Dazzling Gleam!"

Radiant light burst toward Nihilego.

The Ultra Beast paused briefly under the dazzling glow but quickly shook it off, retaliating by spewing a stream of venom at Clefable.

Sludge Wave!

The toxic attack struck Clefable head-on, sending it flying. As a Poison-type move, it was super effective against the Fairy-type Clefable. The Pokémon fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"Using a Fairy-type against a Poison/Rock-type like Nihilego? Tsk." Luo Yuan couldn't resist critiquing Lusamine's strategic blunder from the other side of the glass.

Lusamine also realized her mistake, but it was already too late to salvage the situation.

Nihilego wasted no time. Floating up to Lusamine, it wrapped its body around her before she could react.

"Mmph... H-Help..."

Before Lusamine could even cry out for help, she was entirely engulfed by Nihilego's body.

Yet, the expected pain never came.

Instead, Lusamine found herself not only retaining control over her body but also wielding Nihilego's power.

"This..."

She hesitated, wondering if being parasitized might actually be beneficial.

As the thought crossed her mind, a sudden numbness spread from the back of her neck.

The sensation rapidly coursed through her, reaching her brain and filling her with an electrifying euphoria.

A sense of invincibility overwhelmed her.

At that moment, Luo Yuan's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Nihilego's neurotoxins induce extreme euphoria and self-abandonment in its host.

"To put it simply, Chairwoman Lusamine, you're poisoned."

"So what? I'll deal with you first!" Lusamine, now overtaken by Nihilego's influence, shouted furiously.

Shing!

The glass wall slid open. Controlled by the parasitic state, Lusamine commanded Nihilego to launch a Sludge Wave.

Purple sludge erupted from Nihilego's body, surging toward Luo Yuan.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself."

Using Poison-type moves against him? In her usual state, Lusamine would never make such a mistake.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Clearly, she was already falling under Nihilego's subtle control—though she remained unaware of it.

"Deoxys." Luo Yuan's voice was calm.

At his command, the blue light in Deoxys's eyes flared.

A massive psychic force materialized, forming an invisible wall that stopped the incoming sludge in its tracks.

Unfazed, Lusamine commanded Nihilego to strike again. Its tentacles suddenly lashed out, unleashing a barrage of gem-like light.

"Power Gem!"

Beams of radiant energy rained down on Deoxys.

In an instant, Deoxys switched to its Defense Forme, positioning itself in front of Luo Yuan.

Explosions rippled through the room, but as the smoke cleared, both Deoxys and Luo Yuan stood unharmed.

"Damn it..."

Missing twice in a row, Lusamine's rationality—already eroded by the neurotoxins—was consumed by rage.

"Double-Edge Headbutt!"

Nihilego summoned all its strength, launching itself at Deoxys in a reckless charge.

Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Double-Edge Headbutt was powerful but inflicted severe recoil damage on its user.

Using this move now showed just how desperate Lusamine had become.

Still, Luo Yuan remained composed.

"Deoxys, Psychic!"

Deoxys's core began to glow, and its eyes flared blue as an overwhelming psychic force collided with the charging Nihilego mid-air.

The invisible psychic energy felt almost tangible. Nihilego, unable to advance, seemed to struggle against an immense barrier.

At the same time, the psychic energy seeped into Nihilego's body, targeting both the Ultra Beast and its host.

Under the influence of the neurotoxins, Lusamine's rationality was completely gone, leaving Nihilego's instincts to take over.

But the combination of psychic pain and Deoxys's overwhelming power triggered Nihilego's primal fear of stronger lifeforms.

Instinctively, Nihilego began retreating, floating toward the portal above in a bid to return to its home in Ultra Space.

Luo Yuan, however, had no intention of letting it escape.

Lusamine was still parasitized. If Nihilego fled, who would he rely on to control the Aether Foundation?

Faba? Not a chance.

And how would he explain to Lillie that her mother vanished during his visit?

"Stay right here." Luo Yuan raised his hand.

Deoxys instantly shifted into Speed Forme, becoming a streak of light that intercepted Nihilego with ease.

Simultaneously, Luo Yuan used his psychic powers to sever the machine's power supply.

Shing!

The Ultra Wormhole closed, trapping Nihilego in the real world.

With Deoxys blocking its path forward and Luo Yuan behind it, Nihilego—already weakened by Deoxys's earlier attacks—hovered aimlessly, unsure of what to do next.

Behind it, Luo Yuan stared at the Ultra Beast and its parasitized host, deep in thought.

He pondered a peculiar question.

If he threw a Pokéball at Nihilego now, would Lusamine get captured too?

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

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Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf