Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Just then, Bill shook off his surprise and came closer.

Looking at the Gible, he took out some paper and a pen, quickly analyzing as he spoke.

"Shiny Gible, with a notch on its dorsal fin… It's a male, about one-third larger than the average Gible. Healthy development…"

Before he could finish, Gible's eyes lit up as it noticed Bill's constantly moving hand. With its tiny legs giving a powerful push, it leapt forward and bit down on Bill's arm.

"My arm!"

"…"

Luo Yuan's mouth twitched at the sight of Bill, arm firmly in Gible's jaws.

This little Gible might be more troublesome than he'd anticipated.

He patted Gible to signal it to let go, then held it securely in his hand.

With a slightly apologetic look, Luo Yuan asked, "You okay?"

"It's fine. The little guy was just born—its teeth haven't even fully developed yet." Bill rubbed his sore arm.

Though it didn't have teeth, Gible's strong bite still hurt.

Luo Yuan shot Gible a glare. Realizing its mistake, Gible settled down.

Bill, rubbing his arm, resumed his notes. "Like most Gibles, it seems to have a habit of biting anything that moves."

After jotting that down, he stepped forward again to feel Gible's skin.

"The characteristic seems to be Rough Skin, which is relatively rare among Gibles."

Once he was done, Bill handed over the notes along with an earlier chart to Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan reviewed Gible's data. "Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it," Bill replied with a wave.

Compared to the assistance Luo Yuan had given him before, this was a minor favor.

However… noticing Gible's gaze fixating on his moving hand again, Bill quickly withdrew it.

Seeing Gible's look of disappointment, Luo Yuan tapped it lightly on the head.

"Gaba!"

Gible looked pitiful, as if to say it was only thinking about it and hadn't even made a move yet.

Luo Yuan ignored it.

"So, what research are you planning next, Bill?" Luo Yuan asked, glancing at the consciousness transfer device nearby.

With this project a success, Bill would likely start something new, possibly requiring funding.

Given that Gible had just taken a bite out of Bill's arm, Luo Yuan decided he'd make it up to him somehow.

Bill blinked, thinking for a moment. "I haven't given it serious thought yet… but I do have a vague idea. I'm considering research into Mega Evolution in the Kalos region."

"Mega Evolution?"

"Yes, it's the process that allows fully evolved Pokémon to evolve once more. I'm quite curious about it."

"Sounds promising…" Luo Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

This project had excellent potential.

Due to the rarity of Mega Stones and Key Stones, Mega Evolution had only been studied on a limited scale.

After acquiring a batch of Mega Stones during a previous conflict with Team Rocket, Giovanni had mobilized the organization's research team to study them.

Although some progress had been made, the explosion at New Island's base had wiped out nearly all equipment and research data, sparing only what had been backed up on the main server.

The development of Mewtwo's Mega Stone had also been forced to halt.

With Bill planning to research Mega Evolution Stones, Luo Yuan saw it as an ideal opportunity for Team Rocket to benefit without expending resources.

Making up his mind, Luo Yuan told Bill, "I'll inform President Silph about this—Silph Co. will fully support your research."

…

It was nearly noon, and the time he'd arranged to meet Sabrina was approaching.

After saying goodbye to Bill, Luo Yuan stopped by Silph Co.'s vault to pick up some items he might need later, then left and headed to the restaurant.

Sabrina was already seated, waiting for him.

When Luo Yuan finally arrived, she slid a glass of juice across the table toward him, sighing. "We agreed on eleven, yet you left me waiting here alone for ages."

"Ahem…" Luo Yuan coughed awkwardly. "Something came up."

Then, he lifted Gible, showing it to Sabrina.

"The egg I found in the ruins hatched."

"Gible?" Sabrina recognized the Pokémon at a glance.

She took Gible from him, examining it closely. Though she wasn't very familiar with Gible, just its appearance suggested it was developing well.

Unaccustomed to being handled, Gible struggled, but under Sabrina's psychic hold, it couldn't resist at all.

After a while, Gible finally escaped her grasp, looking disgruntled as it returned to Luo Yuan's arms.

Laughing, Luo Yuan gave Gible a few Pokéblocks to ease its mood.

Sabrina asked, "How did your discussion with President Silph go?"

"It's all settled. Silph Co. will be fully supporting me."

Sabrina nodded.

This was hardly surprising. Unless President Silph had lost all sense, he'd naturally support Luo Yuan.

"So, have you thought about entering the Elite Four selection yourself?" Luo Yuan asked.

While Sabrina only had an Alakazam at the Elite level, she also had several other capable Pokémon.

As a trainer whose psychic powers surpassed those of most of her Pokémon, Sabrina could easily use her abilities to elevate her other Pokémon to Elite strength.

Challenging for an Elite position wasn't out of reach.

Sabrina considered his suggestion, then shook her head.

"Becoming an Elite sounds like a hassle."

In truth, if it weren't for her duties as one of Team Rocket's three executives, she'd probably have abandoned her position as the Saffron City Gym Leader by now.

Seeing her response, Luo Yuan didn't press further.

It was just a suggestion; as long as Sabrina was happy, he didn't mind either way.

As they chatted, the waiter arrived with their food.

Gible, smelling the delicious aroma, started drooling. Luo Yuan chuckled, about to order it a dish as well, when his communicator suddenly beeped.

The call display read "Professor Oak."

Seeing that, Luo Yuan paused. For a moment, he'd thought it might be Archer reaching out.

He answered the call.

Professor Oak's voice came through. "Luo Yuan, we've made progress on your Aerodactyl research."

"Progress? What kind of progress?"

Luo Yuan was taken aback. He'd loaned Aerodactyl to Professor Oak for the sake of gaining the professor's support.

How had they actually made progress on it?

---

Ahem! Esteemed audience, gather closer! You stand in the presence of brilliance, the likes of which Fontaine has never seen! Truly, you're witnessing a masterpiece in motion, a living legend in the making, an—

Oh! But wait! Where was I? Right, me! As you all know, such brilliance doesn't manifest from nothing! It takes effort, dedication, and a sprinkling of your… oh, how shall I put it? Generosity! If you desire to be immortalized alongside my unparalleled splendor, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

And yet, I must ask: why do mortals so often hesitate to seize an opportunity like this? I mean, really, supporting me is tantamount to—oh! Imagine if I personally rewrote every law in Fontaine! The brilliance! The upheaval! The dramatic courtroom soliloquies! And naturally, I'd—

"Furina, enough. The audience is here for the translations, not your Fontaine fantasy chronicles."

Wait, Wise! I wasn't done captivating them!

"You've captivated them plenty. Now, mortals, if you wish to contribute to something truly extraordinary, the link is there. Support and bask in the glory of my—"

—our—

"my hard work."

Hmph! Fine! But I'm still the true star of this end note. Obviously.

— Furina ✨ (reluctantly sharing the stage with Wise 👑)