The thought that Xerosic might betray him crossed Lysandre's mind, but he quickly shook it off.
Xerosic was one of his most trusted subordinates, even more reliable than Malva. If Xerosic had betrayed Team Flare, it would mean that no one in the organization could be trusted.
But if Xerosic hadn't turned against him, then why hadn't he arrived yet? And why hadn't he activated the base's defense systems as instructed?
Doubt crept into Lysandre's heart.
On the opposite side of the room, Luo Yuan, who had been closely observing Lysandre's every move, noticed his momentary distraction.
"Deoxys, Psychic!"
A powerful surge of psychic energy radiated from Deoxys, slamming into Mienshao just as it tried to dodge Gengar's attack.
The Psychic move hit Mienshao with devastating effectiveness. The Fighting-type Pokémon collapsed, unable to continue battling.
"Damn it…" Lysandre cursed under his breath, realizing the situation was slipping out of his control.
"Chandelure, Will-O-Wisp!"
Ghostly purple flames ignited around Chandelure, lashing out toward Gengar.
At the same time, Lysandre began retreating.
The battle was clearly going against him. If he stayed, capture by the Tech Hunter and the traitor Malva was inevitable.
Fortunately, he had prepared for such an emergency. A hidden escape route lay within this very office…
As Lysandre backed away, Luo Yuan caught on immediately.
There was no way Luo Yuan was letting him escape.
Snapping his fingers, Luo Yuan issued a command.
Deoxys, understanding instantly, lashed out with its tentacles. With a single powerful Superpower, it sent Honchkrow flying, clearing its path.
Deoxys switched to Speed Forme, vanishing in a blur and reappearing directly in front of Lysandre.
Now in Attack Forme, Deoxys floated menacingly, its sharp tentacles pointed squarely at Lysandre's chest as he reached for the hidden mechanism.
Any sudden movement would invite a flurry of strikes from the alien Pokémon.
Behind him, Gengar and Dragapult had subdued Chandelure and the injured Honchkrow, eliminating the last of Lysandre's Pokémon.
"..."
Faced with this, Lysandre's expression turned unnervingly calm.
He glanced at Deoxys, then at Luo Yuan, Malva, and Aliana, who was desperately fending off Malva's Houndoom to buy him time.
"You and your Deoxys are strong," Lysandre finally said, his voice measured.
"I wonder what Team Rocket offered you to make you work so loyally for them."
Luo Yuan tilted his head slightly, smirking. "Should I take that as an attempt to sow discord?"
With a chuckle, he added, "If so, don't bother. Compared to your plan to destroy the world, Team Rocket's ideology seems far more rational to me."
Lysandre's dream to use the Ultimate Weapon to eliminate all life except for Team Flare's followers was nothing short of madness. Luo Yuan couldn't fathom how anyone had agreed to join him in such an insane endeavor.
Lysandre fell silent again, realizing it was impossible to sway the Tech Hunter with words.
However, a small sliver of hope remained in his heart: Xerosic.
If Xerosic was still free, Lysandre believed his vision for the world might yet survive.
But just as this thought crossed his mind, Luo Yuan spoke.
"Are you waiting for Xerosic?"
Lysandre's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing at Luo Yuan.
Luo Yuan casually glanced at his watch. "If my calculations are right… it should be about time."
Before Lysandre could process his words, the wall to the side of the office exploded.
Boom!
Amid the rubble stood a Pokémon Lysandre had never seen before.
Its white body and purple markings radiated an aura of power. On its shoulder, it carried a massive spoon—and dangling from the end of that spoon was a very familiar figure.
"Xerosic!" Aliana gasped.
Lysandre's face darkened as he pieced everything together.
Now he understood why Xerosic had failed to respond.
Thud!
With a casual flick, Mewtwo tossed Xerosic to the ground.
The scientist groaned in pain, clearly having suffered some collateral damage during his confrontation with Mewtwo.
At this point, Lysandre's hopes were dashed. Even though Team Flare still had Mable and Bryony at another base, Lysandre knew they weren't capable of leading the organization.
They were excellent executors but lacked the capacity to take charge.
And besides, Lysandre doubted Team Rocket would leave loose ends.
"You've won," Lysandre said at last, lowering his head in defeat.
---
"...In total, 370 Team Flare members were captured. However, we lost 74 operatives who can no longer continue fighting."
A subordinate delivered the battle report to Luo Yuan.
The operation had been successful, but not without cost.
Despite Luo Yuan and Malva joining the assault after dealing with Lysandre, Team Flare's intimate knowledge of the lab had allowed them to inflict significant casualties on Team Rocket.
Had it not been for Malva's intel, the losses would have been far greater.
"What's the plan now?" Malva asked, standing by Lysandre's desk and glancing at Luo Yuan, who had made himself comfortable in the chair.
She had prepared herself for this, but now that her former team was defeated, a complex mix of emotions bubbled within her.
"We'll discuss that later. First, I'd like to know how Matori's team is doing."
Luo Yuan activated Lysandre's holographic display system and dialed Matori.
"Matori, how are things on your end?"
His question was somewhat redundant, as the background behind Matori revealed Bryony and Mable tied up like Christmas presents.
"We encountered some resistance, but it's been dealt with," Matori replied coolly.
"Good. Wrap things up and meet me here as soon as possible. We need to discuss how to handle what remains of Team Flare."