At this point, all three of Hunter J's Pokémon had been subdued and were held in place by psychic energy.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Hunter J raised her right arm, aiming the device mounted there at Deoxys.
This machine was specifically designed to capture Pokémon; once the target was hit, their body would be encased in a nanofilm coating, turning them into a statue.
Although the odds of success were slim, she was desperate to try it on Deoxys.
However, before she could make her move, her body stiffened.
Her entire form was engulfed in the same blue psychic aura as her Pokémon—Deoxys had seized control over her, too.
"Lady J!"
Seeing this, her henchmen abandoned their pursuit of the Team Rocket trio and commanded their Pokémon to charge toward her, hoping to free her through sheer numbers.
Ordinarily, even an Elite Four-level Trainer would be wary of facing so many skilled Trainers at once.
But Luo Yuan, with Deoxys at his side, was undeterred.
"Deoxys, Psychic!"
An invisible wave of psychic energy pulsed from Deoxys's core.
Luo Yuan didn't instruct Deoxys to target the Pokémon; instead, he focused on Hunter J's henchmen.
Thud, thud
As expected, targeting the Trainers first was the quickest way to end the battle.
Most of the Trainers charging toward them collapsed instantly under the psychic assault, with only a few of stronger mental fortitude managing to stay conscious.
The Pokémon at the front suddenly saw their Trainers fall, and chaos ensued.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Luo Yuan ordered Dragapult, Gengar, and Deoxys to pick off the remaining, now-panicked Pokémon one by one.
Soon, only Luo Yuan and the Team Rocket trio were left standing on the battlefield.
Jessie, James, and Meowth gaped at the scene unfolding before them.
This was their first time witnessing the sheer power a top-level Trainer could wield.
Compared to the might of Mr. K and his Deoxys, the brat's Pikachu felt laughable in comparison.
Of course, if Luo Yuan knew what they were thinking, he'd be quick to correct them.
Ash's Pikachu was like a sponge—if you squeezed it hard enough, even Legendaries would have to take notice.
That's why they called it the "Pika-God."
With a battlefield strewn with unconscious Pokémon hunters, Luo Yuan walked over to Hunter J, who was now suspended in mid-air by psychic force, her neck craned to meet his gaze.
"Now, care to explain your motives?"
"Hmph!"
Hunter J snorted, refusing to say a word.
Though she was a captive, she still had no intention of cooperating with Luo Yuan.
"No matter. If you won't talk, it doesn't concern me. There are plenty of witnesses here, not to mention the people at Stone Mining. Someone will talk."
Luo Yuan wasn't bothered by her silence.
He snapped his fingers, signaling Deoxys to return Hunter J's Pokémon to their Poké Balls.
Then, he waved over the Team Rocket trio.
Having seen Luo Yuan's overwhelming power firsthand—and being aware that he was still their superior—they immediately trotted over when he beckoned.
"Sir, what would you like us to do?"
They were careful with their words, avoiding any mention of his Rocket codename or the term "boss" that could hint at his identity. The trio clearly understood how to read the room.
Luo Yuan felt their skill in reading people must have been maxed out.
Without wasting words, he said directly:
"Find some rope to tie these guys up, then contact Matori and have her send a team to take custody of the captives."
"Also, I recall that Hunter J has an invisible airship. Tell Matori to search for it—it shouldn't be too far from here."
With that, Luo Yuan had Deoxys knock the visibly panicked Hunter J unconscious.
...
Stone Family, Stone Mining Group—maybe that name doesn't ring a bell for some.
But if I told you that in the original series, the Four Eevee Brothers were the four heirs of the Stone family, it might sound more familiar.
At the moment, Luo Yuan, disguised again as Rocket Admin K, was seated in the family's lavish living room.
Across from him sat Stone Mining's leader, Stone Keiji, along with his four sons, each looking deeply grateful.
"We are immensely thankful for your help! That Pokémon hunter appeared in Stone Town about two months ago."
"She had her people seize control of everyone in our family, which delayed our payments to Team Rocket."
"If not for your intervention, we'd still be trapped in her grip."
As Stone Keiji recounted the events, Luo Yuan was able to piece together the story.
Apparently, Hunter J had suddenly shown up in Stone Town, and for some unknown reason, forced the Stone family to work for her. During this time, they'd had no contact with the outside world, which explained the missed payments.
It all made sense now.
Companies like Stone Mining, which owed their success to Team Rocket's backing, understood very well what would happen without Team Rocket's protection.
Team Rocket wouldn't even need to dirty their own hands; a simple phone call to a competitor could tear their business apart.
Luo Yuan wasn't concerned that they might be lying. After all, they could hardly hide from Team Rocket in the Kanto region. No funny business would go unnoticed.
Still, there was one question that puzzled him—what had been Hunter J's motivation? Why would she take such a huge risk?
"Do you have any idea what they were after?" Luo Yuan asked.
He knew Hunter J's personality well—greedy, always seeking profit.
Something must have been valuable enough to bring her to Kanto, have her operate here for nearly two months, and make her overlook the risk of angering Team Rocket.
Stone Keiji thought carefully before answering, "We don't know the details, but it seemed they were searching for something in Evolution Mountain."
"They organized several search parties, but they kept coming back empty-handed."
Luo Yuan nodded. "Understood."
Though he was mildly disappointed that he didn't gain more concrete information, it was no matter.
He'd just received word that Hunter J's airship had been located.
The entire network of Pokémon hunters Hunter J had assembled was now under Rocket custody.
Once they were secured in Team Rocket's prison, there'd be no further threats from them.
Interrogation wouldn't be his responsibility.
For high-level information like this, Matori typically handled it, as she had with Akabe in the past.
"Hopefully, Matori finds something useful. Otherwise, I could call on Sabrina to handle the questioning with some hypnosis."
Luo Yuan was only a novice at hypnosis, and Deoxys wasn't skilled in it either, so if serious intel was needed, Sabrina would be their best option.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
He glanced once more at the scene, particularly at Taiyi, the youngest brother, who was cornered by his three older brothers, each pushing him to evolve his Eevee into Flareon, Vaporeon, or Jolteon.
Luo Yuan chuckled at the scene, then turned and left Stone Town, heading toward his next destination.
---
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