"Heliolisk, use Thunderbolt!"
At the trainer's command, a thick arc of electricity crackled from Heliolisk, arcing straight toward Gyarados.
It was obvious the trainer knew his type matchups well.
Electric trumps Water. Electric trumps Flying.
With Gyarados being both, it would take quadruple damage from an Electric move.
While Luo Yuan's Gyarados was indeed powerful, not even it could shrug off such a super-effective attack.
But Luo Yuan saw through the opponent's plan instantly and smirked.
This trainer was a novice.
Just as he'd told Gary—real battles weren't only about type advantages. True battles tested the skill of the trainer.
Timing, move prediction, and strategic thinking all mattered far more.
And in this case?
Too bad. Luo Yuan's psychic abilities had already picked up on the move before the opponent finished issuing the command.
"Gyarados, dodge!"
At the exact moment the Thunderbolt was unleashed, Luo Yuan gave his order.
Whoosh—
Gyarados, with surprising agility for its massive size, surged into the air, dodging the Thunderbolt with ease.
Then, in one swift motion, it countered with a Hydro Pump, blasting Heliolisk and knocking it out cold.
Before the opposing trainer could even register his shock, Luo Yuan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Gyarados, keep using Hydro Pump. Maybe a good drenching will bring them back to their senses."
Gyarados toned down the power, and the powerful jet of water surged into the crowd of environmentalists.
One by one, they were sent sprawling by the torrent, looking thoroughly drenched and miserable.
A few of them tried rallying their Pokémon for a counterattack.
But the miners, who had been watching them intently, weren't about to let that happen.
Several quick exchanges later, with Luo Yuan's help tipping the scales, the environmentalists who had once held the upper hand against the miners were now in full retreat.
If it had just been a temporary setback in battle, they might've held out a little longer.
But Gyarados looming over them in the sky was too intimidating.
The dampened Hydro Pumps weren't powerful enough to injure them severely, but each hit left them stinging and sore.
In the end, their resolve crumbled, and they fled, shouting a few empty threats over their shoulders.
"Yes! We did it!"
"Finally got rid of those pests!"
"A total victory!"
The miners were all smiles, cheering in relief and triumph.
At that moment, the big man, the miners' leader, walked over to Luo Yuan and thanked him sincerely:
"We're incredibly grateful for your help!"
As the miners' elected representative, he knew this victory was more thanks to Luo Yuan than to them.
Before Luo Yuan's intervention, they hadn't managed to win a single confrontation with the environmentalists.
"It was nothing, just a small gesture," Luo Yuan replied.
He'd simply given the scales a little nudge.
The real credit belonged to the miners themselves.
And besides, these people had blocked his way; stepping in was partly for his own convenience.
While Luo Yuan played down his role, the big man didn't take him lightly. Without Luo Yuan, they could never have gained such an overwhelming advantage.
"In any case, please accept the thanks of Pewter City's Miners' Association," he said solemnly. "And if there's ever anything we can help with, don't hesitate to ask."
Luo Yuan smiled, accepting the big man's goodwill.
He probably wouldn't need it, being backed by Team Rocket, but a gesture of kindness was always appreciated.
—
With the path clear, the miners went off to work, and Luo Yuan and Misty continued their journey up Mount Moon.
Not far behind, some of the environmentalists crouched in the shadows, watching Luo Yuan's group retreat with grim faces.
"What now, Captain?"
"We were supposed to hold this path, but now someone's broken through…"
A murmur of unrest passed through the group.
"We'll have to report it."
Their leader, the young man who had first attacked Luo Yuan, wore a tight frown as he pulled out a communicator.
"Miss Aliana, I'm sorry to report that we couldn't hold the road. Someone's made it through."
The communicator's screen briefly flashed with a fiery red emblem.
—
"If only I could reveal my real identity. I'd love to nab a couple of them and get some answers about those Kalos Pokémon…"
Luo Yuan found his cover as a rookie trainer to be more inconvenient by the day.
A group of trainers using Kalos Pokémon in Kanto was definitely suspicious.
If he were still operating as a Team Rocket officer, he'd have taken a few prisoners, used a Psychic Pokémon to hypnotize them, and learned everything he needed in no time.
"Need to find a way into the League and get an official position with some law enforcement power…"
Setting this as his next goal, Luo Yuan quickly messaged Truebird, the agent managing Kanto affairs in Giovanni's absence, asking her to send someone to investigate.
Meanwhile, Luo Yuan used his reward from defeating the Pewter Gym to trigger a spin on his prize wheel.
[Drawing… Please wait.]
[Draw complete. Congratulations, host! You've won a "Strange Meteorite."]
[Strange Meteorite: A peculiar meteorite that seems to attract certain Pokémon.]
The system's description was brief and cryptic, leaving him at a loss.
But having read the original series, Luo Yuan had a few guesses.
Many meteorites existed in the Pokémon world, but only a few Pokémon were drawn to them.
Apart from Lunatone and Solrock, which were inherently tied to meteorites, the only other Pokémon attracted to them were Rayquaza and Deoxys.
"Looks like I've stumbled onto something big."
Luo Yuan thought, feeling a surge of excitement.
For safety's sake, though, he decided not to retrieve the meteorite right away and instead kept it stored in the system space.
Who knew what might happen if he brought it out?
If he ended up attracting Rayquaza or Deoxys…
Even though his Dragapult was strong, he was far more likely to be demolished by these legendary Pokémon than to capture one!
"Guess I'd better keep leveling up."
Luo Yuan was already thinking about ways to quickly strengthen himself.
Nearby, Misty suddenly pointed ahead, her voice urgent.
"Luo Yuan, look over there!"
---
T/N: Why do I keep missing Unarchived Karaoke's but always on time for Archived ones? pain