Luo Yan's words left Matori deep in thought.
It was true; with Deoxys under his command, Luo Yan was indeed qualified to establish his own faction.
The larger an organization, the more intricate it becomes, and Team Rocket was no exception.
The Three Executives, the Three Beasts, and the Four Generals—these all represented factions within the organization, though they all ultimately followed Giovanni without a clear leader among them.
Even the fledgling Hoenn Division Luo Yan had begun establishing counted as its own faction.
Building on that...
Now that Luo Yan was hinting at forming his own faction, Matori couldn't help but consider the implications carefully.
Just as she was deciding whether to ask him about it directly, the large screen at the center of the airship's hall displayed an incoming call, interrupting her thoughts.
As they answered, Giovanni's image appeared on the screen.
"Matori, Luo Yan, how is the situation on the Sevii Islands?"
His expression was severe, clearly indicating that he was not pleased with how things had unfolded.
"Lorelei and Lance have been repelled," Luo Yan reported.
Hearing this, Giovanni's expression relaxed slightly, but then his hand paused mid-stroke on his Persian's fur.
"Lance?"
Wasn't it just supposed to be Lorelei? How had Lance gotten involved as well?
Under Giovanni's questioning gaze, Luo Yan glanced at Matori, who shook her head slightly.
In the chaos, she hadn't had a chance to notify Giovanni about Lance joining Lorelei's forces on the Sevii Islands.
"Well then…"
With a resigned sigh, Luo Yan recounted the events for Giovanni.
After listening, Giovanni's face remained expressionless, but beneath the surface, he was shaken.
Although he was the one who had originally tasked Luo Yan with investigating the unknown Pokémon, he had never anticipated that Luo Yan would actually be able to capture it and put it to such effective use.
After a moment, Giovanni lifted his gaze, giving Luo Yan a rare nod. "Well done."
What more could he say?
Luo Yan's performance had been flawless, not only successfully repelling Lance but also demonstrating a clear grasp of Giovanni's strategic vision.
As for Deoxys… Giovanni had no real complaints.
He knew he'd contributed only minimal information in this endeavor. Capturing and gaining Deoxys's loyalty was all Luo Yan's doing. Had it been anyone else, they'd likely have ended up severely injured.
Carr was a prime example of that.
Besides, Giovanni wasn't the type to covet his subordinates' Pokémon.
Though he felt a slight twinge of jealousy… well, just a very slight twinge.
As Giovanni fell silent, Matori stole a glance at Luo Yan and decided to give him an assist.
"Boss Giovanni, what about Carr? His mistakes nearly cost us the entire Sevii Islands Division. How should we handle that?"
"Carr?"
With Matori's prompt, Giovanni remembered the true instigator behind this whole mess.
Typically, Giovanni would respond to a failure like this by giving Carr a harsh talking-to, then assigning him a grueling task to extract any remaining value from him.
But now, knowing that his own subordinate had a Legendary Pokémon while he did not left Giovanni in a less forgiving mood.
After a moment of consideration, Giovanni waved his hand.
"We're currently expanding our operations into the Orange Islands. Demote Carr by half a rank, and once the Sevii Islands matter is resolved, send him there."
A demotion, even by just half a rank, was no light punishment for a high-ranking Team Rocket officer.
Luo Yan recognized that Matori had set this up as a chance for him to speak up, and it was his turn to make his move.
Clearing his throat, he coughed twice for effect.
"Boss Giovanni, I don't think the blame lies with Carr. Deoxys was just too powerful. It was an honest mistake—don't you think a half-rank demotion is a bit harsh?"
Giovanni raised an eyebrow in surprise. Luo Yan, who usually didn't get along with Carr, was actually speaking on his behalf?
Curious, Giovanni studied Luo Yan's expression, but finding nothing revealing, he dropped the matter.
Instead, he mulled over Luo Yan's words.
The punishment for Carr had been an offhand decision, after all.
And with Luo Yan now holding a major achievement and a Legendary Pokémon, this was an opportune moment for Giovanni to bring Luo Yan closer to his side.
So, he decided.
"Very well, just transfer him to the Orange Islands to assist with establishing the new division."
"Additionally, after this Sevii Islands incident, Lance is likely to retaliate. Matori, return to Kanto and oversee our operations from there."
Without waiting for her response, Giovanni abruptly cut the call.
As the screen went black, Luo Yan chuckled.
"Giovanni sure is single-mindedly focused on the Mewtwo Project."
He was neglecting the organization's affairs, prioritizing the Mewtwo Project above all else—something very unlike his usual methodical approach.
Typically, Giovanni would never let the organization's activities go unattended, no matter how busy he was.
But now, he was entrusting everything to Matori.
It was as if Giovanni hadn't realized he was treading on dangerous ground himself.
Matori rolled her eyes at him.
"Thanks to you, stirring things up… You have a Legendary Pokémon now; of course, it's easy for you to say."
From her experience with Giovanni, she knew that he would feel a lot of pressure seeing a subordinate holding a Legendary Pokémon while he did not.
Of course, it was only natural that he'd want to hasten Mewtwo's creation.
Luo Yan called Carr to inform him that he wouldn't be demoted, just reassigned to the Orange Islands, and received a flood of gratitude in response.
"I suddenly feel like I've tricked an idiot," Luo Yan muttered after hanging up, glancing at Matori.
Matori: "…"
Luo Yan smirked. "Alright, jokes aside, let's go pick up Sabrina, and then head back to Kanto!"
---
Lance and Lorelei led the League forces in a rapid retreat from the battlefield.
The group didn't stop until they reached their main base on Four Island.
In the safety of the base's conference room, a heavy silence settled over the League trainers.
No one spoke.
What had seemed like an impending victory had turned into a crushing defeat, a fact that was hard for everyone to accept.
At last, it was Lorelei, the most level-headed, who broke the silence.
"Lance, what's the plan from here?"
The Alliance would undoubtedly demand an explanation for the failed operation.
"I'll handle it," Lance replied, bracing himself. "Though we failed, the mission isn't over. We still need to ensure Team Rocket doesn't exploit this to expand their control over the Sevii Islands."
That was the resolve he'd come to the moment he had ordered the retreat.
"As for the Tech Hunter, he's not an immediate threat. According to League intel, he's primarily interested in Mega Stones and valuable technology. This joint effort with Team Rocket seems to have been a one-off, so we don't need to be overly concerned."
"For now, we don't need to clash head-on with Team Rocket. Let's focus on our duty and ensure they don't get the upper hand."
"Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Lance!" came the collective response.
Had Luo Yan been present, he'd have marveled at Lance's ability to inspire.
In just a few words, he'd rekindled the spirits of the demoralized League trainers in the room.
---
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