Ten minutes earlier...
Luo Yuan and Mewtwo descended from the sky, landing at the entrance of the Celadon Game Corner.
The sudden appearance of the pair instantly alerted the League trainers stationed there.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
The guards reached instinctively for their Poké Balls, but before their hands even touched them, the mysterious Pokémon before them narrowed its eyes.
In an instant, the trainers lost all sensation in their bodies, suspended mid-air, paralyzed by Mewtwo's psychic power.
Fear struck the League trainers, yet their rigid bodies left them unable to move or call out, their terror betrayed only by their wide eyes.
Luo Yuan paid them no heed, sparing only a brief comment as he walked past.
"Deal with them."
Mewtwo lifted an arm, a faint wave of psychic power brushing over the guards.
Thud!
The two trainers felt a sudden, dizzying pressure at their necks, and the world faded to black as they slumped unconscious to the ground.
Leaving them behind, Mewtwo followed Luo Yuan inside the Celadon Game Corner.
It had been a little over a month since Luo Yuan last visited, and the scene had changed drastically. The once bustling game hall now lay eerily empty, under League control.
Luo Yuan's entrance didn't immediately raise suspicion among the League trainers inside. With guards stationed outside, anyone entering was assumed to be a fellow officer.
However, when they caught sight of Mewtwo following Luo Yuan, a trainer's eyes widened in alarm.
"That's—"
Before he could react, Luo Yuan snapped his fingers, and Mewtwo's eyes glinted with power, rendering the trainers helpless, one by one, until they were all unconscious.
"Such poor vigilance," Luo Yuan muttered, shaking his head.
As Team Rocket's influence in Kanto had grown, a quiet understanding had emerged between the organization and the League. Skirmishes were usually small-scale, and both sides avoided full-blown battles.
But this leniency had dulled the League trainers' alertness. They had strength but lacked the sharpness of discipline. With an Elite on hand, this flaw was less obvious. But left alone, it became all too clear.
Thud!
Another wave from Mewtwo sent the trainers slumping to the floor, and Luo Yuan stepped over them as he made his way to the basement.
Meanwhile, in the control room, the League members monitoring the security network saw Luo Yuan and Mewtwo enter and immediately sounded the alarm.
The League trainers in the lower levels received orders to converge at the base's main entrance.
Feeling the psychic energy in the building below, Luo Yuan knew they'd been detected. But he remained unperturbed.
As a Rocket executive, he was familiar with every inch of this base, thanks to the floor plans that Petrel had provided.
He couldn't decide if these League trainers were just foolish or overly confident. They'd flooded a base built by Team Rocket without understanding its layout.
Shaking his head, Luo Yuan strode to a wall near the entrance, tapping it in a specific sequence—nine shallow taps and one deep.
Whirr...
A hidden scanner emerged from the wall, prompting him for a handprint.
Placing his hand on the panel, a mechanical voice responded:
"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Executive. Please input a command."
"Passcode: 'Meowth.' Emergency lockdown."
A dull beep acknowledged the command, and within moments, the League trainers felt a sudden shudder as all the elevators halted, and alloy doors slammed shut on each level, sealing every area into isolated sections.
Luo Yuan "watched" through his psychic connection as the trainers, now cut off from each other, scrambled in confusion.
This only underscored his frustration with whoever had overseen security before the base was overrun. Had they activated the lockdown protocol, it would have at least delayed Lance and the others long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
Instead, they'd practically handed the base over to the League.
Whoever was responsible, Luo Yuan thought grimly, should be sent to Mt. Silver to hunt Teddiursa.
Dismissing the thought, he and Mewtwo descended through a newly opened passage to the lower levels.
One Shadow Ball from Mewtwo knocked out half the trainers and their Pokémon in the first level. The remaining trainers barely had time to react before Mewtwo's Psychic Pulse struck with pinpoint precision, incapacitating them instantly.
Ignoring the trainers left standing, Luo Yuan calmly opened the now-unlocked elevator.
In just five minutes, Luo Yuan arrived at the League's storage room, where the confiscated Rocket assets were kept.
He loaded the cash and rare items into Gengar's seemingly bottomless mouth, then moved to the final level to unlock Team Rocket's secure vault.
BOOM!
Clearing out the remaining valuables, Luo Yuan physically destroyed the server, ensuring no data remained.
---
In the League's temporary command room, silence reigned.
Despite the day's endless setbacks, the news of this latest theft failed to shock Lance. At this point, he was numb.
He could hardly be surprised if the Rocket executive had strolled in and dismantled the entire Celadon City police department.
After all, they had no means to stop him.
"I see. Dismissed."
Once his subordinate had left, Lance returned to the conversation with Agatha and Bruno.
"Back to our earlier discussion. As for capturing the Legendary Pokémon, Lorelei has already established contact with Articuno, so I'll assign her to lead the investigation there."
"Reports indicate Zapdos has been spotted near the abandoned Power Plant by Rock Tunnel. I'll take charge of tracking it. Bruno, I'll entrust the search for Moltres to you."
Bruno nodded, accepting the assignment without question.
"As for contacting Professor Oak, Blaine, Koga, and Pryce, we'll need your help, Agatha."
As one of Kanto's most senior trainers, Agatha's connections ran deep. Lance couldn't think of anyone better suited to the task.
As for Agatha's long-standing tension with Professor Oak… Lance was aware of it but trusted her professionalism. Given the urgency of the situation, he knew she'd make the right choice.
"You can count on me," Agatha replied, leaning on her cane with a calm, unreadable expression.
---
Reader, your presence signifies commitment.
To walk this path is to contribute to the pursuit of eternity.
Should you wish to further fortify our resolve, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each action contributes to the unyielding foundation of our creation. Together, we etch a mark that transcends the fleeting nature of time.
— Raiden Shogun