Rose was utterly speechless.
When he first learned from Luo Yuan that Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic, was also imprisoned in the Distortion World, Rose had hoped that, once exiled there himself, he might be able to join forces with Cyrus to find a way out of this wretched place.
But to his surprise, Cyrus actually seemed satisfied with the environment here?
Rose had tried persuading Cyrus with all his eloquence, but the reality was—Cyrus didn't even bother to glance at him.
To be fair, from Cyrus's perspective, he wasn't exactly thrilled either.
He had been quite content when Luo Yuan first sent him to this world.
But within two days, this incessantly chattering nuisance showed up and shattered his peaceful solitude.
If this were back when he was still the boss of Team Galactic, Cyrus would have already "handled" Rose without a second thought.
But now...
Lifting his head to watch Giratina flying silently across the dim, twisted sky, Cyrus's heart settled into a strange, serene calmness, as if he had truly merged with the Distortion World itself.
---
Meanwhile, Luo Yuan had no idea that sparks were already flying between Rose and Cyrus.
At this moment, he had returned to the Kanto region.
As an official envoy—especially one who had made Kanto's name shine brilliantly through his exchanges in Galar—Luo Yuan received a hero's welcome the moment he stepped off the plane.
After all, his clean sweep against Champion Leon had been broadcast live to the entire world.
Everyone had witnessed that thrilling battle.
Compared to Luo Yuan's earlier victory over former Hoenn Champion Steven during a high-stakes wager match, this time he had defeated a reigning champion on a formal battlefield.
The significance was in an entirely different league.
As a native of Kanto and now an Elite Four member of Johto, Luo Yuan's flawless victory over Galar's Champion had given Kanto's online forums endless bragging rights.
Giovanni himself—Champion of Kanto and the true leader of Team Rocket—had come in person to welcome him back.
"You did well, Luo Yuan," Giovanni said, clapping him on the shoulder.
There was a double meaning hidden in those words.
On the surface, it was praise for Luo Yuan's achievements for the Kanto region.
But the deeper meaning was commendation for successfully bringing the Galar region into Team Rocket's grasp.
When it came to Luo Yuan, Giovanni couldn't have been more pleased.
Strong in battle, loyal to the organization, outstanding in negotiation and strategy—
As a boss, having a subordinate like this was a dream come true.
"Kanto's success is thanks to your leadership, Giovanni," Luo Yuan replied with a polite smile.
"Welcome back, Luo Yuan."
Lorelei stepped forward.
Today, she wore frameless glasses, a tight-fitting professional outfit, and black stockings, giving her usual intellectual air an extra touch of seductive charm.
She didn't understand the hidden language between Luo Yuan and Giovanni.
Thinking they were simply exchanging polite formalities, she teased lightly,
"Luo Yuan, now that you're back, aren't you tempted to challenge Lance? After all, you've already defeated two champions."
The surrounding group—who had come with Giovanni and Lorelei to greet him—froze for a second, then fell into deep thought.
Though Lorelei had said it in a joking tone, once you thought about it seriously...
It wasn't so far-fetched.
The full reports from Luo Yuan's Galar exchange had already been sent back to Kanto.
His negotiation with Oleana showcased his impressive diplomatic skills.
The significant concessions made by Galar during their cooperative talks only further proved his capabilities.
There was no doubt about his competence.
As for strength... Luo Yuan had defeated two regional champions in a row, and now commanded multiple Legendary Pokémon.
Claiming he was weaker than Lance would almost sound like a bad joke.
Which meant... if Luo Yuan wanted to, couldn't he challenge Lance and claim the Johto Champion's title at any time?
Everyone who thought of this possibility froze, their expressions subtly shifting.
They tried to maintain serious faces but couldn't quite suppress the corners of their mouths twitching with barely concealed amusement.
Through his psychic senses, Luo Yuan picked up on their collective emotions.
A bunch of troublemakers, waiting for the show to start.
It was clear they didn't have much faith in Lance.
Lorelei, sensing the atmosphere growing strange, quickly changed the subject.
"Let's head back to Indigo Plateau first. We need to discuss Team Rocket's situation. Even though the cooperation with Galar ended unexpectedly, the threat posed by Team Rocket can't be ignored."
She turned and gave Luo Yuan an apologetic glance, clearly feeling bad for dragging him into a meeting right after he'd just gotten off the plane.
"It's fine," Luo Yuan replied easily.
As a responsible member of the Elite Four, how could he possibly skip such an important meeting?
Besides, he and Sabrina had rested the entire flight back.
---
T/N: rested sure
"Translator chained me here and told me to write something clever. Consider this your mandatory reminder that if you enjoyed the chapter, you can toss your precious Powerstones into the void—every 100 of them forces out one extra chapter, like wringing blood from a stone. 100 = 1, 200 = 2, 300 = 3… you get the picture."
"If you're feeling dangerously generous (or just want to peek ahead), there's also a Patreon: patreon.com/wisetl. Allegedly, it's "voluntary support," but let's not kid ourselves—you're here for early chapters."
"That's all. Now leave me be." —Angelica Ainsworth