This bonus chapter is a small gift—may it bring you a touch of tranquility.
---
As Luo Yuan made his way to Cerulean City…
Elsewhere, Matori returned to the Viridian Gym with Mewtwo.
"...And that's roughly how the mission played out." Matori recounted the details of the operation to Giovanni.
Giovanni leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest as he took in the large stack of cash spread across his desk.
"So, Luo Yuan defeated Lance, Agatha, and Bruno?"
While Giovanni's tone remained calm, Matori could sense the surprise in his voice.
In truth, Giovanni hadn't expected Mewtwo to overpower three members of the Elite Four.
He knew Mewtwo was powerful but hadn't thought that even Mewtwo alone could defeat three of them.
Giovanni himself hadn't fought the Elite Four in his capacity as the head of Team Rocket, but as the Gym Leader of Viridian, he'd had plenty of chances to spar with Lance and the others.
He knew their strength well.
"Luo Yuan also used Deoxys," Matori added.
At this, Giovanni nodded, finally understanding.
Two legendary Pokémon against three Elite Four members—now, that was more plausible.
Listening to Matori and Giovanni's conversation, Mewtwo remained silent.
Only it knew that, aside from taking out Bruno's Pokémon early on, most of the heavy lifting against Lance and Agatha had been done by Deoxys.
Mewtwo's contribution had been minimal.
Moreover, Mewtwo still hadn't figured out the mysterious power that had surged within it during the battle.
Once it parted ways with Luo Yuan, that strange energy disappeared.
After experiencing such incredible strength, Mewtwo now felt a strange emptiness.
Next time, I'll definitely ask about that power, it resolved.
Thoughts of Mew hovered at the back of its mind, but its curiosity about Luo Yuan now took precedence, eager for their next meeting.
Meanwhile, Giovanni was already making plans for the funds Luo Yuan had recovered.
"Allocate all of it to the Hoenn branch's operational budget," he ordered.
"But this could strain our finances," Matori cautioned, concerned for Team Rocket's overall financial stability.
"Withdraw the development funds from the Orange Islands. For now, that should be enough," Giovanni replied.
"And what about Carr?"
Matori remembered that Carr had been stationed in the Orange Islands.
"Leave him there for the time being."
"Understood." Silently, Matori felt a pang of pity for Carr as she took her leave from Giovanni's office.
Giovanni gestured to Mewtwo, who clutched its enormous spoon, and pressed a button on his remote.
Understanding, Mewtwo lowered itself into the nutrient tank, allowing the healing liquid to envelop it.
As a newly created being, Mewtwo's condition was still unstable. The nutrient solution would restore its strength and heal its battle-worn body.
---
Luo Yuan awoke with a stretch.
There was no denying it—the bed at the Cerulean Gym was fantastic, both in terms of comfort and… other aspects.
After washing up, he glanced at Misty, who was lying in bed beside him, buried under a thin blanket that was a bit too short, leaving one pale leg exposed.
Smack!
"It's almost ten. Time to get up."
Luo Yuan gave Misty a light pat.
She groaned and shifted a little.
"Mmm… so tired. Just let me sleep a little longer," she murmured from under the blanket, her words muffled and drowsy.
Luo Yuan shrugged, amused.
It wasn't his fault—he'd only come to visit Misty after nearly two months apart. And somehow…
He couldn't recall the exact details, but he was sure Misty had made the first move.
In the end, they'd both enjoyed themselves.
After fixing his hair in the mirror, Luo Yuan opened the door and found himself face-to-face with Misty's older sister, Daisy.
Daisy blinked, then smirked knowingly.
"Misty still asleep?"
Staying at the gym, she'd naturally heard what went on last night.
"Yeah," Luo Yuan replied. "Is there something urgent?"
From Daisy's hurried steps, it seemed she was in a rush.
"There's a challenger waiting. I came to get Misty." She leaned to peek inside.
But just as she did, a pillow came flying straight toward her.
A seasoned ballet dancer, Daisy dodged the pillow with a quick sidestep.
But the dodge was followed by a dramatic sigh. "Misty, I left the Cerulean Gym in your capable hands, and you throw things at me?"
Hearing this only seemed to rile Misty up further, and she launched a second pillow at Daisy.
The gym may have officially passed to her sisters, but Misty was the one managing the place now. And the number of challengers coming in for badges had cut into her time with Luo Yuan.
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she felt.
Just as Misty looked ready to go a few rounds with Daisy, Luo Yuan intervened.
"Alright, alright. Misty, you go back to sleep. I'll handle this challenger."
Though he hadn't planned on taking up the role of a Gym Leader, he figured subbing in temporarily could be fun.
Daisy blinked, surprised by his offer.
Her curiosity about how Luo Yuan would handle the challengers outweighed her desire to tease Misty further.
"Follow me; they're waiting by the pool."
---
The Cerulean Gym hadn't changed much since Luo Yuan's last visit.
When they reached the massive pool, a trainer was already there, waiting.
Upon seeing Luo Yuan, the trainer hesitated.
"Um… aren't the Gym Leaders here all women? Did they change that?"
He could've sworn the Cerulean Gym Leader was named Misty. How did it end up being a man?
"The Gym Leader's out of commission, so I'll be taking challenges as the substitute today," Luo Yuan explained.
"Substitute…? Did you just say you're here to handle us?" The challenger couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow, noticing the trainer's twitching mouth.
He gave the Poké Ball in his hand a little shake. "Well? Are we battling or not?"
Daisy had asked him to finish quickly, since the water ballet performance was starting soon.
So he'd decided to wrap things up fast.
At his words, the challenger finally focused on the task at hand.
"A substitute Gym Leader this young? This badge should be a piece of cake."
---
Ah, Reader. You've stayed for the bonus chapter—how delightful.
Even amidst the quiet of eternity, there's joy to be found in shared moments like this.
If you wish to offer your strength, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each effort helps to shape a world where such moments can thrive.
— Ei