Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

"You're both my wings."

As soon as Luo Yuan uttered these words, the room fell into silence.

So quiet, one could hear the faint sound of their own heartbeat.

Misty stared at Luo Yuan, stunned. She hadn't expected him to say something like that.

Her feelings were complicated.

By all accounts, she should have been furious. But when she looked at Luo Yuan's sincere and handsome face, she couldn't summon her anger.

She thought back to their journey together after leaving home, the habit she'd formed of calling him every night to share her day's adventures before falling asleep.

Imagining life without him, Misty realized she had grown dependent on Luo Yuan's presence. She couldn't let him go.

Even her decision to inherit Cerulean Gym was tied to him.

If she left Luo Yuan, all the effort she'd put into training Pokémon and preparing a successor for her Gym Leader position would feel meaningless.

While Misty was lost in thought, Sabrina wasn't so easily placated.

She didn't refute Luo Yuan's statement but instead delivered a decisive blow through telepathy, her smile unwavering.

"If we're your wings, then what is Matori to you?" Sabrina asked.

"Cough...!"

Luo Yuan choked on his coffee, caught completely off guard.

Why was Matori suddenly being brought up?

While he and Matori often shared a flirtatious dynamic, their relationship was genuinely platonic. Most of their interactions revolved around work.

But explaining that to Sabrina would be pointless now.

So Luo Yuan decided not to explain at all.

He'd already laid everything bare. Why not own it? Through telepathy, he replied bluntly:

"I have three wings."

The confidence in his response left Sabrina momentarily speechless.

Then, she burst into amused laughter, the tension she had created dissolving instantly.

Much of Sabrina's earlier demeanor had been a façade—only a small part of her emotions had been genuine.

Unlike Misty, who had entertained thoughts of leaving Luo Yuan, Sabrina never even considered it.

Truthfully, she had been prepared for Misty's involvement from the beginning.

When Luo Yuan first returned to Kanto, even before she met him, Matori had already mentioned Misty. Sabrina's sharp memory hadn't forgotten in the slightest.

As for Matori, Sabrina wasn't blind. She could see the relationship between Luo Yuan and Matori extended beyond mere colleagues.

Sabrina hadn't confronted Luo Yuan earlier because she was confident in her place as the most important person in his heart.

That confidence was unshakable.

Her questions today were merely a way to remind Luo Yuan not to hide things from her and to finally clear the air.

Now that everything was out in the open, the atmosphere shifted again—from one kind of tension to another.

Misty glanced at Luo Yuan, then at Sabrina, unsure of what to say.

Noticing Misty's hesitation, Sabrina smiled.

"I won't back down," she said calmly.

She was curious to see what Misty would do. If Misty decided to give up, that would be ideal.

But to Sabrina's disappointment, Misty responded firmly, "Neither will I!"

Sabrina's smile widened as she extended a hand toward Misty.

"In that case, let's start over. Sabrina."

Misty hesitated, biting her lip.

Though reluctant, she couldn't deny that Sabrina, who had been with Luo Yuan longer, had chosen to forgive him. What right did she have to hold a grudge?

With that thought, she reached out, and their hands clasped.

Sabrina and Misty had come to an understanding.

Watching the room settle into a more harmonious atmosphere, Luo Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's finally over."

Glancing at the clock, he realized only an hour had passed, though it felt like a year.

This was true time dilation.

Seeing Sabrina and Misty chatting and getting along surprisingly well, Luo Yuan suggested, "How about going shopping this afternoon?"

Both women paused at his suggestion but soon nodded in agreement.

---

It seemed that Sabrina and Misty had channeled all their frustrations toward Luo Yuan into shopping.

By the end of the afternoon, Luo Yuan was carrying dozens of shopping bags.

Of course, the weight wasn't an issue for him.

The real problem was that despite his grand declaration of "You're both my wings," he hadn't earned the privilege of sharing a room with them. Instead, he was forced to book a separate room for himself.

Sabrina and Misty, in a rare moment of teamwork, justified it by saying, "You need to save your energy for the tournament."

"Misty doesn't know my strength, but you do," Luo Yuan complained to Sabrina.

"Why would I need to conserve energy? Do you think anyone here can beat me?"

Sabrina merely chuckled before replying seriously:

"Don't underestimate the competition. This year, the tournament isn't just Kanto trainers—there are many from other regions as well."

"Oh? Trainers from other regions?" Luo Yuan was intrigued.

If Sabrina said there were "many," then there must truly be a significant number.

In previous years, the Indigo League hadn't attracted this many outside participants.

Could it be because of the rumors about Kanto recruiting new Elite Four members and a Champion?

It seemed likely.

Becoming an Elite Four member through traditional selection processes was far more complex.

Winning the Indigo League Tournament, earning the right to challenge an Elite Four member, and potentially claiming their position was a much quicker path.

Especially with the Pokémon Certification Exam system in place, which allowed trainers to bypass Gym challenges altogether.

"This could get messy..."

Trainers confident enough to vie for an Elite Four position weren't going to be pushovers.

Luo Yuan figured this might make things slightly challenging for him, though not overwhelmingly so. He was confident in his own strength.

But the ordinary trainers caught in the crossfire of these contenders were in for a rough time.

"Poor participants... This year's trainers are in for a tough tournament."

With a brief moment of sympathy for them, Luo Yuan dismissed the thought.

Instead, he began wondering about Gary and Ash.

He hadn't gone out much lately and wasn't sure if the two had arrived at the Indigo Plateau yet.

Just as he considered reaching out to them, his phone rang.

"Giovanni?"

Luo Yuan looked at the caller ID before answering.

---

Oh? You're still here? Wow. Either you really enjoy my company, or you scrolled too fast and forgot to close the tab. Either way—respect.

Now, since I have your attention, let's talk business. Web fluid, coffee, replacement suits—being me isn't cheap. And last I checked, saving the world doesn't come with a salary. Tragic, I know.

But you can make a difference! By supporting [patreon.com/WiseTL], you're not just helping a poor, overworked Spider-Man—you're securing front-row seats to even more chaos, bad jokes, and possibly a few existential crises.

So go on, be a hero. Support the cause. And who knows? Maybe I'll name my next web trick after you. (Probably not, but hey, worth a shot.)

Stay cool, don't trust bald telepaths, and always double-check your web cartridges.

— Xia Luo 🕷️