Goldenrod City
At Johto League's temporary headquarters, Luo Yuan met Lance.
The League's official headquarters had been completed, but Lance had yet to move in due to his overwhelming workload.
He had just finished reviewing reports on recent wild Pokémon attacks near Goldenrod City when Luo Yuan walked in.
Seeing him, Lance let out a sigh of relief.
"Done with your vacation? If so, great—you can help me with this pile of work."
Though Lance had made significant progress in establishing Johto League's framework, its departments were still in the early stages of cooperation. Miscommunication and inefficiency plagued every task, forcing Lance to constantly mediate.
The strain was evident—his once immaculate hair now showed signs of thinning.
Looking at Lance, Luo Yuan found himself unexpectedly appreciating Hoenn's system.
While the Pokémon Association limited the power of its Champions and Elite Four, it also spared them from dealing with most administrative tasks. Bureaucrats handled the day-to-day operations.
Lance, on the other hand, was not only a Champion but also a glorified manager, buried under endless paperwork.
For a moment, Luo Yuan genuinely worried Lance might lose his hair from stress.
Of course, while he sympathized with Lance, there was no way he was volunteering to share his burden.
"Actually, I'm here for something else," Luo Yuan began.
"What is it?" Lance asked, barely looking up as he signed off on a high-speed train project between Goldenrod and Saffron.
"I received an invitation to visit Alola. Since Johto League is still relatively unknown internationally, I thought I could represent us in an exchange program."
"Alola?" Lance said thoughtfully, setting down his pen.
Lance was familiar with Alola from its recent induction into the League. As a newer region, Johto establishing ties with it made sense.
Still, he eyed Luo Yuan skeptically.
"You're not just looking to dodge work by heading to Alola, are you?"
"Of course not!" Luo Yuan denied vehemently.
There was no way he'd admit it.
"..." Lance didn't seem convinced but chose to let it slide for now. "I'm swamped here, you know. I can't handle all this by myself."
His tone made it clear—if Luo Yuan wanted to leave, he'd better come up with a solution for Johto's workload.
"Why not bring in Pryce to help?" Luo Yuan suggested after a moment of thought.
"Pryce?"
"Yes. He's from the same generation as Professor Oak and Agatha. With his years of experience as a Gym Leader, I'm sure he'd manage just fine."
At that moment, Pryce, who was feeding his Lapras at Blackthorn Gym, sneezed violently.
Lance considered Luo Yuan's suggestion and nodded slowly.
Pryce was well-connected, knowledgeable, and experienced—an ideal candidate.
"And I hear Koga isn't too busy lately," Luo Yuan added.
"Koga? He told me just the other day that he's swamped," Lance replied, puzzled.
"That can't be true. Ninjas know how to use clones, don't they?"
Internally, Luo Yuan silently apologized to both Pryce and Koga. Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good of Team Rocket.
After a long pause, Lance relented.
"Fine."
He signed off on Luo Yuan and Sabrina's travel documents, notifying Alola of their visit as Johto's official representatives.
As Luo Yuan left the office, he smirked, holding the approved paperwork.
Behind him, Lance suddenly froze.
Wait...
Did he just sign off on two documents?
Did Luo Yuan seriously need to bring his girlfriend for an exchange program?
He'd been tricked!
---
Back at Luo Yuan's Goldenrod Residence
Luo Yuan returned to his estate—a sprawling 10-acre property with a luxurious mansion.
The mansion wasn't his purchase, though.
While he was wealthy, Luo Yuan never cared much about where or how he lived. Most of his time was spent at Rocket HQ with Matori, Saffron Gym with Sabrina, or Cerulean City with Misty.
This estate was originally a failed real estate venture by Team Rocket.
The property was built as part of a luxury housing project, but its extravagant design and price made it unsellable to anyone but the wealthiest elites.
Rather than let it sit vacant, Giovanni had offered it to Luo Yuan, who needed a residence in Johto.
Publicly, it was said Luo Yuan purchased the property with dividends from his Silph Co. shares.
"All set," Luo Yuan announced, flashing an "okay" sign to Sabrina, who was sipping tea on the couch.
Celebi, sitting beside her, cheered and spun in excitement.
It had wanted to visit Alola for ages, but the Ultra Beasts made the region too dangerous. With Luo Yuan by its side, it could finally go safely.
Just then, Luo Yuan's communicator buzzed.
The holographic display lit up, showing Gary's cautious expression.
"Luo Yuan... is this your new house?"
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨