The League wouldn't notice a few missing Pokémon hunters who were supposed to be locked up.
Especially when the whole process—from arrest to detainment—was handled by Team Rocket.
After all…officers, prosecutors, Gym Leaders—the entire Fuchsia City was practically crawling with Team Rocket operatives. Even if Lance showed up, he'd have no way to investigate.
---
Wild Safari Zone, Ranger's Cabin
By now, dusk had fallen. Luo Yuan, along with Sabrina and his freshly "trained" Slowpoke, was barbecuing in the clearing outside the cabin.
Gary caught the scent and arrived just as Luo Yuan fed Sabrina the last piece of grilled meat.
"Finally decided to join us, huh?" Luo Yuan called out, spotting Gary's approach.
"What are you guys…" Gary's gaze fell on the grill.
"BBQ. Too bad you're late," Luo Yuan shrugged with a hint of regret.
Gary: "..."
I'm not hungry at all, really.
Trying to ignore the tantalizing smell of grilled food, Gary refocused. "Are you ready, Luo Yuan?"
He couldn't care less about BBQ.
His main goal was to settle the score by defeating Luo Yuan in their next battle.
"Of course!"
Luo Yuan patted the Slowpoke beside him. "Alright, meet my chosen Pokémon—Slowpoke!"
Gary looked at the slow, vacant expression on Slowpoke's face, its eyes unfocused, and felt a surge of confusion.
"Uh…are you serious?"
Gary had expected Luo Yuan to catch a new Pokémon for this. But Slowpoke? Really?
He couldn't see any sign that Slowpoke had battle potential.
"Absolutely." Luo Yuan nodded, giving Slowpoke a knowing look.
Slowpoke, who had been hoping to take a nap on the grass after eating, reluctantly stood up.
Seeing Luo Yuan's confidence, Gary didn't press further.
After all, this could only work to his advantage.
If Luo Yuan was using Slowpoke, today's victor was as good as decided!
Thinking this, Gary confidently tossed his Poké Ball. "Let's go, Golduck!"
Golduck materialized with its light-blue body, yellow bill, webbed feet, and the red gem on its forehead glinting in the light.
"Quaaack!"
Golduck's call was bold and fierce.
"A Water-type Golduck…"
Compared to its pre-evolved form Psyduck, which shared Slowpoke's dopey expression, Golduck had not only shed its headache issues but also boasted a boosted stat total of 500.
A fairly solid Pokémon.
"This win is mine!" Gary announced with absolute confidence.
"Don't be so sure!"
In the heated (Gary thought) atmosphere, Sabrina waved her hand. "The battle begins!"
Gary wasn't about to let his guard down. The moment the battle started, he took the initiative:
"Go, Golduck! Use Water Gun on Slowpoke!"
It was a sound strategy…but the reality didn't go quite as planned.
"Quaaack?"
Golduck glanced over at the vacant-looking Slowpoke, then turned back to Gary with a hint of hesitation.
The Slowpoke in front of it didn't look particularly…bright.
It reminded Golduck of itself before it evolved.
It couldn't shake the feeling that attacking Slowpoke would be like bullying an idiot.
Gary nearly tripped in exasperation, finally pulling himself together enough to urge Golduck, "Golduck, this is a battle!"
Having just caught Golduck, Gary hadn't yet had time to develop seamless coordination with it.
Luo Yuan noticed this and chuckled.
While Gary and Golduck hadn't built synergy, he had spent plenty of time training Slowpoke.
This was his advantage.
Taking advantage of Golduck's hesitation, Luo Yuan called out, "Slowpoke, use Confusion!"
Upon hearing the command, Slowpoke's expression sharpened, its eyes glowing with an intense blue light as its psychic energy surged forward.
Ordinary Confusion, enhanced by a deep psychic affinity, hit with an extra punch.
Golduck's eyes widened in pain, clutching its head as it reeled from the attack.
"Golduck!"
"Quaack!"
Perhaps it was used to headaches from its Psyduck days, because Golduck managed to recover quickly.
It turned to Slowpoke, its gaze now full of frustration, determined to fight with full force.
"Water Gun!"
Golduck opened its mouth, launching a stream of water at Slowpoke.
The Water Gun was fast—there was no way Slowpoke could dodge it.
Then again, Luo Yuan never intended for Slowpoke, with its paltry speed stat of 15, to dodge anything.
"No need to dodge! Just take it and use Yawn!"
Slowpoke adjusted its stance, taking the hit on its well-padded rear.
Then, it opened its mouth wide and let out a big yawn toward the unsuspecting Golduck.
In real battles, Yawn didn't guarantee sleep as it did in games, but at the very least, Slowpoke's yawn put Golduck into a drowsy, semi-conscious state.
Hearing the yawn, Golduck involuntarily let out a yawn of its own, halting its Water Gun attack.
"It…actually worked?"
Gary was stunned. He hadn't expected Luo Yuan to block Golduck's Water Gun with a simple Yawn.
"Golduck, snap out of it!"
Golduck heard Gary's call and managed to resist sleep, but it was still too sluggish to continue attacking.
Seizing the moment, Luo Yuan ordered, "Slowpoke, use Amnesia!"
Amnesia worked by blanking out the mind to boost Special Defense.
Seeing Slowpoke's body glowing in a steady rhythm, Luo Yuan grinned.
Time to stack up those buffs.
After using Amnesia several times, Slowpoke's mind was blissfully blank, while its Special Defense had skyrocketed.
And that wasn't all. Once Slowpoke had boosted its Special Defense enough…
Seeing that Golduck still hadn't shaken off the drowsiness, Luo Yuan decided to do it a favor.
"Slowpoke, use Water Gun!"
Slowpoke fired a weak jet of water at Golduck, splashing it awake with a start.
Now that it was fully alert, the battlefield was hardly the same.
Slowpoke stood, glowing with layers of Special Defense buffs.
The tables had turned.
Despite Gary's best efforts to have Golduck attack with Water Gun and Water Pulse, their effects were minimal on Slowpoke.
Gary even tried to get in close for a physical attack, but Luo Yuan wasn't about to make things easy. He commanded Slowpoke to use Confusion to keep Golduck at bay.
Golduck, battered by the psychic attacks, finally succumbed and collapsed, unable to continue.
As he stared at his defeated Golduck, Gary looked as if he'd been hit with a dose of Amnesia himself, dazedly replaying the battle in his mind.
At what point had the tide turned against him?
---
If you notice anything that feels off, just let me know—I don't mind fixing things up.
Oh, and don't forget to sit up, grab some water, and take it easy while you're here. No rush, right?
If you're into this, consider checking out [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Your support helps me keep going, and I'm grateful for every bit of it.