Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!-Chapter 360: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! []

Lillie sat at one end of the sofa, nervously eyeing Sylveon, who was at the other end flipping through TV channels with the remote.

"Miyaa~!"

Failing to find its favorite romance drama, Sylveon tossed the remote aside the moment it saw Luo Yuan enter. It bounded across the room and leapt into his arms, coiling its ribbons around him affectionately.

Lillie watched with wide, admiring eyes, her expression brimming with envy.

Luo Yuan noticed her look and had an idea. Perhaps helping Lillie overcome her fear of Pokémon could bring them closer.

"You like Sylveon, don't you?" Luo Yuan asked with a smile.

Lillie nodded. What girl could resist Sylveon's charm?

"You can try petting it. It's okay," Luo Yuan said as he gently held Sylveon out toward her.

Lillie immediately shook her head, hesitating. Her fear of Pokémon was still deeply ingrained.

"Sylveon is different," Luo Yuan assured her. "You might find that spending time with it helps ease your fear of Pokémon."

Lillie hesitated, torn. She wanted to touch Sylveon but couldn't overcome her apprehension.

Sylveon, understanding Luo Yuan's silent plea through telepathy, twitched its ears and extended a ribbon toward Lillie.

"Miyaa~!" Sylveon cooed, its gemstone-blue eyes locking with Lillie's.

"So pretty," Lillie murmured, captivated by its gaze.

Inside her mind, two voices waged a fierce battle.

One warned her not to touch Sylveon, fearing she might faint and embarrass herself.

The other urged her to reach out, lured by Sylveon's irresistible charm.

In the end, her desire to connect won out. Trembling slightly, Lillie extended her hand, brushing her fingers against Sylveon's ribbon.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The instant she made contact, her entire body tensed, trembling visibly.

"..." Luo Yuan sighed inwardly. A bit dramatic, but I expected as much.

He immediately activated his Viridian Force, sending out waves of healing energy to soothe Lillie's discomfort.

At the same time, Sylveon's ribbons released a calming aura, gently dissolving her fear.

Though her rigid posture softened, it was clear that more effort was needed.

"Miyaa~!" Sylveon called out, signaling that it had done all it could.

Luo Yuan frowned slightly. If they stopped now, Lillie's phobia might rebound, worsening her condition.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Luo Yuan assured Sabrina telepathically, signaling her not to intervene.

"Lillie," he said softly, "open your heart and let me in."

His eyes glowed a deep blue.

Using psychic powers to control someone was easy. But delving into the depths of their mind, even for someone with Luo Yuan's mental strength, was no simple task.

Fortunately, he had planted the seeds of admiration in Lillie's mind earlier, making his entry much smoother.

Once inside, Luo Yuan immediately sensed the source of her trauma.

With his overwhelming psychic energy, he helped her confront and suppress her fear.

"Ah..." Lillie let out a soft gasp, her eyes fluttering open.

The terror she had harbored toward Pokémon began to fade, replaced by warmth and curiosity.

Sylveon, once an object of dread, now seemed approachable and comforting.

As its ribbon curled gently around her hand, Lillie touched Sylveon's soft fur, marveling at its warmth.

Meanwhile, a long-buried memory surfaced in her mind.

For the first time, Lillie recalled why she had developed her fear of Pokémon.

---

Luo Yuan, Sabrina, Lillie, and Sylveon gathered around the table.

"You're saying that your fear of Pokémon stems from being attacked by a mysterious Pokémon in the Aether Paradise's underground passages when you were a child?" Luo Yuan asked.

Though he had long known that Lillie's trauma was caused by an Ultra Beast—Nihilego—he feigned ignorance.

Lillie nodded, her expression tinged with lingering fear as she recalled the jellyfish-like creature.

Although Luo Yuan's psychic intervention had alleviated her general fear of Pokémon, the terror of Nihilego remained, now directed at its true source.

"So it seems there really is something wrong with the Aether Paradise," Luo Yuan remarked before shifting his tone.

"However, based on your description, it sounds like your mother wasn't aware of what happened to you."

Lillie froze, the idea catching her off guard.

Until now, she had been consumed by fear of Nihilego, never questioning whether Lusamine knew about the incident.

But after Luo Yuan's reminder, she realized that her mother truly might have been in the dark.

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf