Misty had spent three happy days in Lampurchi with Luo Yuan.
If not for a call from her eldest sister, Daisy, saying that they could no longer handle the swarm of trainers coming to Cerulean Gym for badges, Misty would have probably stayed longer with Luo Yuan.
When it was time to go, Misty felt reluctant. She promised Luo Yuan that once she had trained her Pokémon sufficiently, she would join him on his travels.
"Alright, keep in touch," Luo Yuan said, waving as he watched Misty board the plane.
Returning to his hotel, Luo Yuan was preparing to pack for his next destination—Saffron City—when the movie he was watching, a romantic drama between a human and a Pokémon, was suddenly interrupted by breaking news.
At the same time, his phone buzzed with an emergency alert.
[Emergency Alert! A swarm of Tentacool, led by a massive Tentacruel, is attacking the city from the coastal areas near the small port. All citizens nearby, please seek shelter immediately! Trainers capable of assisting are urged to respond.]
"A giant Tentacruel?"
Luo Yuan glanced at his phone's message and the TV screen, where footage showed the colossal Tentacruel advancing toward the city, and instantly remembered this scene from the storyline.
The general plot was that Granny Oba's construction of an amusement park had disturbed the Tentacool habitat, causing them to attack the city. And this massive Tentacruel? That was the handiwork of Jessie, James, and Meowth dumping some "three-star homemade vinegar" into the water.
"They really know how to make a mess..."
Luo Yuan shook his head. Team Rocket's trio had a unique talent for causing trouble, somehow making everything they touched turn into chaos.
"Guess I better take a look..."
The giant Tentacruel wasn't his main concern, but the issue wasn't just Tentacruel itself; it involved the tension between Team Rocket and the Pokémon League.
After the recent St. Anne incident, Team Rocket had already drawn significant attention from the League. Thankfully, Luo Yuan's alias as the "Tech Hunter" had stolen the Mega Stones during that operation, redirecting some of the League's focus and preventing a full-scale conflict between the Kanto League and Team Rocket.
But now, with the repercussions of the St. Anne incident still unfolding, the trio had stirred up another huge mess by creating a giant Tentacruel, practically putting Team Rocket under a magnifying glass.
After all, Lance had been sharpening his blade lately.
Team Rocket wouldn't usually fear this, but Giovanni had committed all resources to the Mewtwo Project, leaving them without the strength for a confrontation with the League.
If a full-scale war broke out with the League, the Mewtwo Project would be endangered, and that would cause serious trouble.
However, there was still a chance to control the situation.
"As long as those three don't get caught by the League, we still have the upper hand."
As long as the trio avoided capture, the League would lack concrete evidence against Team Rocket.
With no evidence and with Granny Oba being the primary instigator of this incident at the small port, the situation could still be finessed.
And with room for negotiation, Team Rocket's agents within the League could smooth things over.
Muttering to himself, Luo Yuan shoved all his belongings into Gengar's "belly" and swiftly left the hotel. Finding an empty alleyway, he donned his disguise and called out Dragapult.
With a dark blur, Dragapult took off with Luo Yuan, speeding toward the small port.
---
The small port lay southwest of Lampurchi, a simple dockside town that had blossomed recently due to Granny Oba's amusement park, drawing in tourists and turning the quiet town into a bustling hub.
However, prosperity brought its share of problems.
The newly built water park and themed hotels had destroyed the natural Tentacool habitat, leading to frequent attacks on passing boats by angry Tentacool.
Tensions had escalated over time.
And today, fueled by Team Rocket's "three-star vinegar," those tensions had erupted in full force.
A massive Tentacruel was now riding a tsunami toward the town.
"What do we do?"
Ash, watching from the rooftop as the huge Tentacruel approached through the glass, felt utterly helpless.
It was gigantic!
A single swing of its tentacles could crush a speedboat with ease. It was practically a monster.
His Pokémon wouldn't stand a chance against something like that.
"Only that giant Dragonite Luo Yuan tracked down could probably take it on," Ash thought to himself.
Officer Jenny at the small port was equally distressed.
The seawater had already started flooding parts of the city.
It was clear that this attack would cause massive losses, yet she could do nothing.
The thought of the casualties made her scalp prickle, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on her Pokéball.
But as a trained officer, Officer Jenny quickly pulled herself together, and with a strong, clear voice, she addressed the panicked crowd:
"Everyone, stay calm! I've already requested assistance from the League; trainers will be here to help soon!"
Hearing her words, the crowd, though still anxious, managed to maintain some semblance of order.
And as for who had it worst after Tentacruel's emergence? It was undoubtedly Team Rocket's trio.
Ever since Tentacool had transformed into the giant Tentacruel, it had been holding Jessie, James, and Meowth in its tentacles.
No matter how hard they struggled, the tentacles wouldn't budge.
"Let us go!"
"Somebody save us!"
"Help, Meowth!"
The trio cried out desperately, though they knew it was probably useless—just venting for their own peace of mind.
As they drew closer to the city, they were ready to give up all hope.
Just then, a voice reached their ears.
"I heard your cry for help."
Before they could react, a voice rang out from the sky, "Dragapult, use Dragon Pulse!"
A purple Dragon Pulse shot down from the heavens, striking the giant Tentacruel.
Tentacruel shrieked in pain, and its tentacles reflexively loosened.
The trio tumbled into the water below.
Luo Yuan didn't bother catching them with Psychic; he figured a little punishment would remind them to stay out of trouble next time.
Watching as the trio floundered to swim away with all their might, Luo Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
He had full faith in the trio's ability to escape. As long as they avoided capture by the League, he'd already achieved most of his goal by coming here.
As for the rest... the League could handle it. This alias of his wasn't suitable for sticking around.
Just as he was about to leave, the giant Tentacruel let out a furious roar, launching an attack directly at him!
Whoosh!
Its enormous tentacles swung, several of them coming down at him and Dragapult with a fierce whistling sound.
It seemed that Tentacruel wanted nothing more than to crush this intruder who had "interfered."
"...?"
Dodging swiftly with Dragapult, Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow at the giant Tentacruel.
Was this creature seriously coming after him for trouble?
Could it have mistaken him for someone trying to thwart its revenge?
Truth be told, Luo Yuan actually sympathized with these Tentacool. If someone tore down his home one day to build a hotel, he'd be furious too.
Bearing that in mind, Luo Yuan decided not to counterattack. Instead, he started to distance himself, signaling that he wasn't interested in blocking its vengeance.
However, his retreat seemed only to embolden Tentacruel further.
It swung its tentacles, relentlessly chasing him down.
At this, Luo Yuan's patience snapped.
Understanding was one thing, but that didn't give the Tentacruel a free pass to overstep.
"So you actually want a fight, huh? Fine, let's see what you've got!"
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check!
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