Lance's hand froze in place.
Though he had only glanced at the cover of the document, he hadn't needed to read the contents — the three bold characters Challenge Letter were clear enough for anyone who wasn't blind.
At that moment, Lance finally understood the strange, hesitant expressions worn by the League staff when they had delivered his morning paperwork.
Now he knew why they had looked that way.
He flipped through the challenge letter briefly; its contents were roughly what he had expected.
"..."
Closing the letter, Lance cast a complicated look at the towering stack of paperwork he had just finished reviewing.
He hadn't been surprised by Luo Yuan's challenge — he had anticipated it.
What made him angry was not Luo Yuan's intent to challenge him, but the fact that the staffer — knowing full well what was in the envelope — had deliberately buried it at the bottom of the pile.
If I had known Luo Yuan was challenging me, would I have wasted my time reviewing all these damn documents?
Setting the challenge letter down on the desk, Lance rose to his feet, seized his beloved cape, swung it over his shoulders, and strode straight toward the training grounds.
Even though he knew there was little point in scrambling for last-minute practice, he was determined to undergo pre-battle special training — to muster 120% of his strength to face Luo Yuan's challenge.
---
Since Sabrina still had matters to handle at the Saffron Gym, Luo Yuan returned to Johto alone.
Because he hadn't formally informed the League, only Koga came to meet him.
Upon seeing Luo Yuan, Koga couldn't suppress his curiosity.
"Luo Yuan, is it true? The rumors say you're challenging Lance?"
Recently, rumors had spread all over the Johto League that Luo Yuan intended to challenge Lance for the title of Champion.
The gossip was detailed and specific, as if the news had been confirmed.
Koga knew Luo Yuan's strength very well, and understood that such a thing was entirely possible.
But because he hadn't heard anything officially within Team Rocket, he felt compelled to ask.
At Koga's question, Luo Yuan smiled and didn't bother hiding anything.
"That's right. I'm going to challenge Lance. If I'm right, the challenge letter should've been delivered to him this morning. He's probably seen it by now."
Hearing Luo Yuan personally confirm it, Koga couldn't hide the grin spreading across his face — excitement practically radiated off him.
"It's about time," Koga said.
Although most of the Johto League's foundations were already under Team Rocket's control, Lance's presence at the top remained a lingering threat.
For those like Koga — whose true allegiance lay with Team Rocket — Lance was an ever-present danger.
There was no denying it:
Despite how calm they appeared, not everyone had Giovanni or Luo Yuan's iron nerves.
The possibility of being exposed had always loomed over them.
But now, everything was about to change.
Once Luo Yuan defeated Lance and took the Champion's seat, they would have no more fears of exposure.
The entire Johto League would be theirs — united under Team Rocket's rule, a truly unbreakable fortress.
"When's the battle scheduled?" Koga asked eagerly.
"Three days from now. I wanted to give Lance enough time to prepare," Luo Yuan said easily.
He hadn't intended to spring a sudden attack.
"True — better to make him lose with no excuses," Koga said, thinking he understood Luo Yuan's reasoning.
"...Don't get ahead of yourself. Lance's strength isn't something to underestimate," Luo Yuan warned.
Koga pretended not to hear that.
If it had been earlier, he might have thought Luo Yuan was simply being cautious.
But after watching Luo Yuan utterly crush Leon in a livestreamed match, Koga simply thought Luo Yuan was being modest — almost too modest.
Seeing Koga's "Yeah, sure, whatever you say" expression, Luo Yuan merely shrugged, believe it or not, your choice.
After handing over the Team Rocket affairs of the Johto region to Koga, Luo Yuan returned to the manor.
As he stepped into the courtyard, he caught sight of Lillie, pushing a small cart and carefully distributing food to the Pokémon one by one.
When Luo Yuan was home, he typically used telekinesis to handle this work.
Before leaving, he had assigned a special caretaker from Team Rocket to help.
But ever since Lillie had completed her internship as an assistant researcher with Professor Oak and returned, she had insisted on taking over the task herself.
As Lillie put it, she wanted to build a closer bond with Pokémon.
"Lillie," Luo Yuan called, waving.
"Brother Luo Yuan!"
Seeing him, Lillie's face lit up with joy.
She ran toward him, followed closely by a small Vulpix wagging its tail enthusiastically.
It reached Luo Yuan's feet and immediately started nuzzling against his leg.
Due to the constant use of the [Viridian Force], even without actively channeling it, Luo Yuan now naturally exuded an aura that made Pokémon instinctively feel at ease and drawn to him.
"Have you been adjusting well to life in Kanto?" Luo Yuan asked, gently patting Lillie's head.
"It's been great! Mom often comes to visit, and lately she's been planning to build a new house here in Johto so she can stay permanently," Lillie said happily.
"Hm?"
That was news to Luo Yuan — Lusamine hadn't mentioned it to him yet.
Still, it wasn't hard to understand.
Since joining Team Rocket and leveraging their resources, the Aether Foundation had been expanding rapidly, no longer confined to Alola.
Relocating to Kanto — or now Johto — wasn't all that surprising anymore.